child

noun, often attributive

\ ˈchī(-ə)ld

plural children\ ˈchil-drən

, -dərn \

Definition of child

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : an unborn or recently born person

b dialect : a female infant

2a : a young person especially between infancy and puberty 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 the age of majority (see majority sense 2a) Under the law she is still a child.

3 usually childe \ 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

with child

: pregnant

Child

biographical name (1)

\ ˈchī(-ə)ld

Definition of Child (Entry 2 of 3)

Francis James 1825–1896 American ballad editor

Child

biographical name (2)

Definition of Child (Entry 3 of 3)

Julia (Carolyn) 1912–2004 née McWilliams American chef

Other Words from child Synonyms & Antonyms Is the word kid slang? More Example Sentences Learn More about child

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Synonyms & Antonyms for child

Synonyms: Noun

bairn [chiefly Scottish], bambino, bud, chap [Southern & Midland], chick, cub, juvenile, kid, kiddie (also kiddy), kiddo, moppet, sprat, sprout, squirt, whelp, youngling, youngster, youth

Antonyms: Noun

adult, grown-up

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.

Examples of child in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web: Noun

Besides Kulture, Offset has three other children from previous relationships. — Jasmine Grant, Essence, "Cardi B Wants To Have Another Baby," 17 Sep. 2019 There was no conspiracy theory too strange for the staff of The Epoch Times Germany to believe, Albrecht found: chemtrail alarmism, Pizzagate, and discredited tales of children murdered by refugees all found a purchase on its pages. — Seth Hettena, The New Republic, "The Obscure Newspaper Fueling the Far-Right in Europe," 17 Sep. 2019 Blais grew up the eldest of five children in the working-class neighborhood of Limoilou, in Quebec City. — Pasha Malla, The New Yorker, "Will American Readers Ever Catch on to Marie-Claire Blais?," 16 Sep. 2019 Dragon dancers entertain dozens of children during Saturday’s Moon Festival at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley. — Daily Pilot, "Moon Festival celebration lights up Fountain Valley," 16 Sep. 2019 Henry Lopez, 39, was also convicted of two counts of child endangerment and one count of reckless fire starting. — Pomerado News, "Father convicted for Rancho Bernardo fire that killed two children," 16 Sep. 2019 Although Steven Sapp and his two leads wring pleasure from the camaraderie, the word play and the man-child rough-housing. — Barbara Ellis, The Know, "Review: Curious Theatre’s “Pass Over” puts violence against young black men at center stage," 14 Sep. 2019 In fact, in my community, a lot of black children had anxieties about the water. — Morgan Jerkins, Longreads, "‘To Be Polite By Ignoring the Obvious’: Jess Row on Unpacking Whiteness in Literature," 13 Sep. 2019 Cases like this have led to a moral panic about whether TikTok is promoting bullying, hate-speech and child abuse, and sharing user data with China (a claim the company has denied). — Snigdha Poonam, 1843, "This Indian TikTok star wants you to know his name," 12 Sep. 2019

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.

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More Definitions for child

child

noun

English Language Learners Definition of child

: a young person

: a son or daughter

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

See the full definition for child in the English Language Learners Dictionary

child

noun

\ ˈchīld

plural children\ ˈchil-drən \

Kids Definition of child

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.

child

noun

\ ˈchī(ə)ld

plural children\ ˈchil-drən, -dərn

Medical Definition of child

1 : an unborn or recently born person

2 : a young person especially between infancy and youth

with child

: pregnant

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child

noun

plural children

Legal Definition of child

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.