preteen

1 of 2

noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

-ˌtēn

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2

adjective

1

: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group

preteen fashions

2

: being younger than 13

Examples of preteen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kids and preteens may reinvigorate the theatrical movie business, at least according to a new study by entertainment researchers NRG. —Brent Lang, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025

The second photo was a throwback to when Ricki was a preteen. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Adjective

Claire’s started as a wig shop in the 1960s before merging with an accessories retailer in 1973, and then getting into the ear-piercing business and staking its claim on preteen girls. —Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025

In Belly’s flashback, preteen Conrad is anxiously screaming at preteen Belly for wandering off under his supervision, which feels more like mean-babysitter behavior than that of a romantic hero, but mean-babysitter behavior is also my main gripe with Conrad. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preteen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

preteen

1 of 2 noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2 adjective

1

: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group

preteen fashions

2

: being younger than 13 years old