preteen

1 of 2

noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn How to pronounce preteen (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preteen was in 1929

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preteen. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

preteen

1 of 2 noun
pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn How to pronounce preteen (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on preteen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!