Peter Pan

noun

Pe·​ter Pan ˈpē-tər-ˈpan How to pronounce Peter Pan (audio)
1
: a boy in Sir James Barrie's play Peter Pan who lives without growing older in a never-never land
2
: an adult who does not want to grow up : one who hangs on to adolescent interests and attitudes

Examples of Peter Pan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Raised in the Bronx by a proud feminist mother and a professor father who moonlighted as Peter Pan the Magic Man, Shari became a multitalented dancer, singer, and magician. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 June 2025 Like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House stories, J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan, or Lucy Maud Mongomery’s Anne of Green Gables, once read, these tales become part of us, forever linking us back to the wide-eyed child of our first encounter. Hazel Gaynor june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025 And then a total Peter Pan underneath all the show. Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 17 June 2025 Disney’s attempt to update the nearly 90-year-old Snow White failed at the box office earlier this year; the company shuffled efforts such as a new Pinocchio and Peter Pan off to streaming, despite the recognizable directors and casts involved. David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Peter Pan

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Peter Pan was in 1904

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peter Pan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Peter%20Pan. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!