child-free
adjective
variants
or less commonly childfree
: without children: such as
a
: not including or allowing children : excluding children
a child-free vacation
Create a 3-foot child-free zone around hot spots like stoves, turkey fryers and ovens …—
The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)I hoped most of the parents invited to the wedding would consider it a nice "date-night" evening to have with their significant others, child-free.—Morris (Illinois) Daily Herald
Morris (Illinois) Daily HeraldWhile there have been several U.S.-based petitions for child-free flights, the practice is less likely to seep over into the American market …—Veronika Bondarenko
Veronika Bondarenko
b
usually childfree
: not having children especially by choice
Where there was once the traditional nuclear family of 2.4 children, we are now seeing an increasing number of people in different family units, whether that be childfree families, single-parent families, step or even extended families.—Lara Bealing
Lara Bealing… choosing to be a mother and choosing to be childfree are both decisions worth celebrating because the celebration is in the fact that a woman chose the trajectory of her life.—Phoebe Robinson
Phoebe RobinsonAbout two years ago when a promising relationship failed, she resigned herself to not having children and embraced all that is good about being child-free.—Mike Bruce
Mike BruceThere are various reasons why someone would be child-free by choice. Some hold the political idea that with overpopulation and resource shortages, being child-free is the ethical choice.—Rachel Cargle
compare childless
Rachel CargleExamples of child-free in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
King credits her ability to be supportive of the kids and mothers in her ethos to her decision to remain child-free.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
Adopting retired military working dogs may come with similar restrictions, including requirements for child-free and pet-free homes for the rest of their lives.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The arrival of the child-free train carriage only adds to France’s ongoing debate about adult-only spaces, said The Guardian.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 28 Jan. 2026
On Friday, a journey from Paris to Lyon was priced at €132 ($155) for a seat in traditional first class, and €180 ($211) for the child-free Optimum Plus, a version of Optimum only offered on the Paris-Lyon route that includes a personal host and dining.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Also, choosing to be child-free was far less common when members of the study cohort were having children, Hukkanen says, so childlessness in the study might have been more frequently tied to preexisting health conditions that could also impact aging and lifespan.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
His firm is launching a service, Childfree Trust that functions as next-of-kin for child-free adults—handling emergency calls, medical documentation and logistics that are often assumed to fall to family members.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Hayes explained that child-free policies are typically aimed at children who are 12 months and older—those who may be noisy, messy or require entertainment.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Timothée Chalamet calls child-free life 'bleak,' says fatherhood is 'on the radar' for him.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
Adopting retired military working dogs may come with similar restrictions, including requirements for child-free and pet-free homes for the rest of their lives.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The arrival of the child-free train carriage only adds to France’s ongoing debate about adult-only spaces, said The Guardian.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 28 Jan. 2026
On Friday, a journey from Paris to Lyon was priced at €132 ($155) for a seat in traditional first class, and €180 ($211) for the child-free Optimum Plus, a version of Optimum only offered on the Paris-Lyon route that includes a personal host and dining.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Also, choosing to be child-free was far less common when members of the study cohort were having children, Hukkanen says, so childlessness in the study might have been more frequently tied to preexisting health conditions that could also impact aging and lifespan.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
His firm is launching a service, Childfree Trust that functions as next-of-kin for child-free adults—handling emergency calls, medical documentation and logistics that are often assumed to fall to family members.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Hayes explained that child-free policies are typically aimed at children who are 12 months and older—those who may be noisy, messy or require entertainment.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Timothée Chalamet calls child-free life 'bleak,' says fatherhood is 'on the radar' for him.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Child-free.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/child-free. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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