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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 kid in a Sentence
Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
Proving that moms will do anything for their kids, Kim Kardashian joined North to dress up as her favorite TikTok stars, Jay Guapõ and Pink Cardigan.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
What works about the movies — the believable kid behaviors, Skarsgård’s performance, and a steady stream of scares — isn’t what’s driving the show.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Just before Thursday’s taping Pence and Emanual met outside the greenroom, and each greeted each other warmly, quickly asking each other questions about their kids before anything else, while kidding with each other about a long unpaid bet.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kid
Cite this Entry
“Kid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kid. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kid
2 of 2 verb
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