Definition of child
children
play \ˈchil-drən, -dərn\1a : an unborn or recently born personb dialect : a female infant
2a : a young person especially between infancy and youth a play for both children and adultsb : a childlike or childish person He is a child in most business matters.c : a person not yet of age Under the law she is still a child.
3 usually childe play \ˈchī(-ə)ld\ archaic : a youth of noble birth
4a : a son or daughter of human parents Do you have any children?b : descendant the children of Israel
5 : one strongly influenced by another or by a place or state of affairs a child of the streets a child of nature America has been called “the first child of the Enlightenment”
6 : product, result barbed wire … is truly a child of the plains — W. P. Webb
childlessness
nounwith child
: pregnant
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Examples of child in a Sentence
the birth of a child
She's pregnant with their first child.
a play for both children and adults
All of their children are grown now.
an elderly couple and their adult children
Men are such children sometimes.
Recent Examples of child from the Web
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On the worst days, Natalie Sua keeps her six children inside their Fresno home, especially two sons with asthma.
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The children got high quality health care and Christian teaching, too.
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Lopez noted trail users would include children who live in the apartments and attend the elementary school.
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People have all manner of medical appointments all the time or child care.
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The vessel transported children to safer locations around the country, and was then charged with surveilling the rivers around London and the Straits of Dover for mines.
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With younger children, spot check their text messages.
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Ruiz-Gomez’s mother, Lorenza Gomez Rodriguez, 41, also of Taylors, is charged with aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse, the site reported reported.
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Parents filled and loaded bags, while small children tied them up.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'child.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Is the word kid slang?
Some people worry that kid, when used of a child rather than a juvenile goat, is either slang or too colloquial to merit acceptance in standard English.
The fact is that we have been using kid to refer to a child that is human, rather than goatish, for more than three hundred years now. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that although this word was considered “low slang” when it first began being used, it had entered “familiar speech” by the 19th century.
In contemporary English, kid is neither slang nor improper. It is, however, most definitely informal, so those writing professionally or in a formal register might prefer to use child.
Origin and Etymology of child
Middle English, from Old English cild; akin to Goth kilthei womb, and perhaps to Sanskrit jaṭhara belly
Child
playDefinition of Child
Francis James 1825–1896 American ballad editor
Child
Definition of Child
Julia (Carolyn) 1912–2004 née McWilliams American chef
CHILD Defined for English Language Learners
child
playDefinition of child for English Language Learners
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: a young person
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: a son or daughter
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: an adult who acts like a child : a childlike or childish person
CHILD Defined for Kids
child
playDefinition of child for Students
children
\ˈchil-drən\1 : an unborn or recently born person
2 : a young person of either sex between infancy and youth
3 : a son or daughter of any age My children are grown now.
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
child
Legal Definition of child
children
1 : a son or daughter of any age and usually including one formally adopted — compare issue Editor's note: The word child as used in a statute or will is often held to include a stepchild, an illegitimate child, a person for whom one stands in loco parentis, or sometimes a more remote descendant, such as a grandchild. In interpreting the word child as used in a will, the court will try to effectuate the intent of the person who made the will as it can be determined from the language of the will.
2 : a person below an age specified by law : infant, minor assault on a child under 16 years of age — compare adult
Additional Notes on child
A person who is below the statutory age but is married will usually be considered an adult.
Learn More about child
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See words that rhyme with child Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for child Spanish Central: Translation of child Nglish: Translation of child for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of child for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about child
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