child

noun

ˈchī(-ə)ld

plural children ˈchil-drən

-dərn

often attributive

Synonyms of child next

: a young person especially between infancy and puberty

a play for both children and adults

: a person not yet of the age of majority (see majority sense 2a)

Under the law she is still a child.

: a childlike or childish person

He is a child in most business matters.

: a son or daughter of human parents

Do you have any children?

: descendant

the children of Israel

: an unborn or recently born person

… Meghan Markle, married Prince Harry, now pregnant with child.—

Laura Simonetti

dialect : a female infant

: 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"

: product, result

barbed wire … is truly a child of the plains—

W. P. Webb

usually childe

ˈchī(-ə)ld

, archaic : a youth of noble birth

childless

ˈchī(-ə)l(d)-ləs

adjective

childlessness noun

Phrases

with child

: pregnant

Did you know?

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.

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web One journalist asked about her child’s conception, and police once investigated a strip club for using a doctored image of Ardern to promote itself. —

Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023 The couple announced the news on social media following the birth of their first child. —

Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, 7 Mar. 2023 To say, here are other things people want to take away from you: women’s health care, Medicaid, Social Security, the education of your child. —

Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2023 Glenn was not the child's biological father, officials said. —

Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2023 Display items inside and on top to decorate your child's room with their handiwork. —

Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2023 This marks their child’s third major public appearance. —

Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 6 Mar. 2023 Shahida’s friend, Sumiya Mushtaq, said the 29-year-old athlete often expressed her concern about her child’s health. —

Fazal Tawab, ajc, 5 Mar. 2023 The Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt mining industry, for example, has been linked with worker exploitation, child labor, and other human rights violations. —

Quartz, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cild; akin to Goth kilthei womb, and perhaps to Sanskrit jaṭhara belly

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler

The first known use of child was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Articles Related to child

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Baby Fever

The longing to have a child of one's own

Cite this Entry

Style

“Child.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/child. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

child

noun

ˈchīld

plural children ˈchil-drən

-dərn

: an unborn or recently born person

: a young person especially between infancy and youth

: a childlike or childish person

: a son or daughter of human parents

childless

ˈchīl(d)-ləs

adjective

Medical Definition

child

noun

ˈchī(ə)ld

plural children ˈchil-drən, -dərn

: an unborn or recently born person

: a young person especially between infancy and youth

Legal Definition

child

noun

plural children

: 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.