childhood

noun

child·​hood ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d 

1

: the state or period of being a child

2

: the early period in the development of something

Synonyms of childhood

• youth
• adolescence

Examples of childhood in a Sentence

diseases that can occur in childhood

Both men had unhappy childhoods.

Recent Examples on the Web

And childhood vaccines do more than protect the child receiving them. — Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

His father’s Midtown Manhattan restaurant, Fresco by Scotto, opened in 1993 and became a fixture of his childhood. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

According to one insider, Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, are determined to give their daughter, Rose Bean, a normal childhood. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2026

For Edwards, that childhood experience provided an early, tangible example of Black entrepreneurship at a time when a trip to the grocery store could also expose young people to someone who owned and operated a business serving their community. — Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing childhood

• childhood friend
• second childhood

Rhymes for childhood

• allgood
• basswood
• beechwood
• bellwood
• birchwood
• boxwood
• boyhood
• brushwood
• cordwood
• dogwood
• driftwood
• falsehood

Kids Definition

childhood

noun

child·​hood ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d 

: the state or time of being a child

Medical Definition

childhood

noun

child·​hood ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d 

: the state or period of being a child