childhood

noun

child·​hood ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
Synonyms of childhoodnext
1
: the state or period of being a child
2
: the early period in the development of something

Examples of childhood in a Sentence

diseases that can occur in childhood Both men had unhappy childhoods.
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.
During a childhood fight, Aemond had his eye cut out by Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys and stole her family’s ferocious, powerful red dragon Vhagar. Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 Percy Jackson is especially tied to childhood for a lot of readers. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 22 June 2026 That means the tiny particles could affect a woman’s ability to conceive, and contribute to developmental effects in the womb and early childhood that cause diseases later in life. Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 In addition, the paper said childhood exposure explained nearly all of the labor force participation dynamics and that men’s expectations for their own wages or employment were based on lifetime experiences—and not macroeconomic conditions like national unemployment or inflation. Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for childhood

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of childhood was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/childhood. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

childhood

noun
child·​hood ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
: the state or time of being a child

Medical Definition

childhood

noun
child·​hood ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
: the state or period of being a child

More from Merriam-Webster on childhood

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster