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

On July 31, President Donald Trump will sign an executive order that reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for teens and preteens in America's public schools, said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. —Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025

The identification came over two weeks after a panga boat carrying Mahi and her family overturned on May 5 — just two days after the preteen's birthday. —Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 31 May 2025

Adjective

Court records allege Romero molested a preteen girl between 2018 to 2019. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025

In Billy Madison, Billy isn’t shy to block the shots of his new preteen classmates, drain midrange jumpers against them, or trash talk. —Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 28 July 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