: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
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
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
MacNeil’s Tracy, like most preteens, feels like the world around her is in a constant upheaval, but the member of Lola’s (Amalia Williamson) youth group finds stability in her two constants, her artwork and her protective big brother, Ben (Frost).
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Speak No Evil While vacationing in Italy, Americans Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) and their preteen daughter (Alix West Lefler) stumble into a fun, go-with-the-flow family: Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their nonverbal son (Dan Hough).
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
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Noun
One creator, who goes by @littlemisstippytoes on TikTok, said in a post that before tween media rose to prominence, preteens were either seen as early bloomers for looking more mature, or childish for looking their age.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
MacNeil’s Tracy, like most preteens, feels like the world around her is in a constant upheaval, but the member of Lola’s (Amalia Williamson) youth group finds stability in her two constants, her artwork and her protective big brother, Ben (Frost).
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Unlike the High School Musical franchise—whose third film received a theatrical release—few modern preteen narratives reach that level of success.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Speak No Evil While vacationing in Italy, Americans Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) and their preteen daughter (Alix West Lefler) stumble into a fun, go-with-the-flow family: Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their nonverbal son (Dan Hough).
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preteen
Cite this Entry
“Preteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preteen. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preteen
1 of 2 noun
pre·teen
ˈprē-ˈtēn 
: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
preteen
2 of 2 adjective1
: 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
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