child

noun, often attributive \ ˈchī(-ə)ld \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of child

plural children play \ˈchil-drən, -dərn\

1 a : an unborn or recently born person

b dialect : a female infant

2 a : a young person especially between infancy and youth

a play for both children and adults

b : 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

4 a : 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

—

childless

play \ˈchī(-ə)l(d)-ləs\ adjective

—

childlessness

noun

— with child

: pregnant

See child defined for English-language learners

See child defined for kids

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

Carter says, pointing out that male rappers have children all the time with little fanfare.

— rachel hahn, Vogue, "How Cardi B and Her Stylist Hid Her Baby Bump For 3 Months," 13 Apr. 2018
The pair have two children together, Kendall and Kylie.

— lisa respers france, CNN, "Kardashians keeping up during Khloé drama," 12 Apr. 2018
Ursula Washington and her husband have four children, ages 10 to 18.

— will higgins, Indianapolis Star, "To save lives, they must ask grieving families a difficult question," 12 Apr. 2018
Spoelstra and others on the Heat staff had children over the course of the season.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Winderman's view: Wayne's World gets it done for Heat," 12 Apr. 2018
Because of university guidelines, the women who’ve become mothers can’t have their children on campus. Trending Video What Does Girl Talk Sound Like?

— jameelah nasheed, Teen Vogue, "After Being Released by Boko Haram, These Nigerian Girls Find Themselves in a Unique Situation," 12 Apr. 2018
Among these are workfare schemes, pensions, free school meals and cash handouts, sometimes conditional on recipients sending their children to school, getting them vaccinated and the like.

— The Economist, "How developing countries weave social safety nets," 12 Apr. 2018
On April 23 in North Carolina, the NC Values Coalition is urging parents to keep their children home and to send a letter to the school administration explaining why.

— cassie cope, charlotteobserver, "The next school walkout comes to Charlotte in April and this one's protesting sex ed | Charlotte Observer," 12 Apr. 2018
There are times when Kratos starts to comfort his child only to pull away at the last second.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "God of War review: an incredible reimagining of a PlayStation icon," 12 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

child Synonyms

Child

biographical name \ ˈchī(-ə)ld \

Definition of Child

Francis James 1825–1896 American ballad editor

Child

biographical name

Definition of Child

Julia (Carolyn) 1912–2004 née McWilliams American chef

CHILD Defined for English Language Learners

child

noun

Definition of child for English Language Learners

: a young person
: a son or daughter
: an adult who acts like a child : a childlike or childish person

CHILD Defined for Kids

child

noun \ ˈchīld \

Definition of child for Students

plural 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

child

noun \ ˈchī(ə)ld \

medical Definition of child

plural children play \ˈchil-drən, -dərn\

1 : an unborn or recently born person

2 : a young person especially between infancy and youth

— with child

: pregnant

Law Dictionary

child

noun

legal Definition of child

plural children

1 : a son or daughter of any age and usually including one formally adopted — compare issue

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