childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d 
1
: the state or period of being a child
2
: the early period in the development of something
Examples of childhood in a Sentence
diseases that can occur in childhood
Both men had unhappy childhoods.
Recent Examples on the Web
The incidence of peanut allergies declined 43%, meaning that eggs have now replaced peanuts as the most common childhood allergen.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
The attack aimed to preserve the Romantic ideal of childhood innocence, not to deny the boy’s gift.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Kleinschmidt’s sessions, with their assistance in permitting him to air these childhood traumas and the interplay of insight and folly in Freudianism, was the stew out of which emerged the novel that made Roth a household name.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childhood
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.
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
The attack aimed to preserve the Romantic ideal of childhood innocence, not to deny the boy’s gift.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Kleinschmidt’s sessions, with their assistance in permitting him to air these childhood traumas and the interplay of insight and folly in Freudianism, was the stew out of which emerged the novel that made Roth a household name.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childhood
Cite this Entry
“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/childhood. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d
: the state or time of being a child
Medical Definition
childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d
: the state or period of being a child
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share