child

noun

ˈchī(-ə)ld How to pronounce child (audio)
Definition of childnext
1
as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood an imaginative animated film that appeals to adults as well as to children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in baby
a recently born person wrapped the child in a blanket before taking him outside in the cold

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in outcome
a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause widespread stress is the child of the frenetic pace of the modern world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of child In California, a parent or legal guardian can surrender a baby within 72 hours of birth — no questions asked — to ensure the child’s well-being, the department said. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026 Some children's bodies were later recovered still wearing ties bearing their school’s logo, said Asta Man Dangol, a resident in Nuwakot. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026 As a girl growing up in the 1970s, Griffin recalls how her parents and other neighbors in the two-street patch of homes did not let their children play at the nearby Fannie Robinson Park after some of them started developing rashes or getting sick. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026 How could America’s most selective universities continue favoring children of alumni after the Supreme Court prohibited them from favoring underrepresented minority applicants? — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for child
Recent Examples of Synonyms for child
  1. kid
  2. baby
  3. outcome
  4. infant
  5. result
  6. toddler
  7. resultant
  8. boy
Noun
  • The beach is right there for swimming and paddleboarding when the surf is calm, and the trails through the dunes are manageable for kids old enough to walk them without being carried.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • As a kid, his mother would drop him off at Southwick Country Club in Massachusetts on summer mornings on her way to work.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • In the same month Netflix released Train Dreams, the film version of Denis Johnson’s revered short novel about a logger whose deceased baby daughter visits him in the form of a wolf.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Infant skin is thinner and more absorbent, making babies more vulnerable to chemicals in disposable diapers, said Kelly Hardy, the senior managing director of health and research at the nonprofit Children Now, among the bill’s sponsors.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of baby
Noun
  • These platforms are colonizing existing speculative spaces—like election results and sporting outcomes—while profiting from areas of asymmetrical knowledge that were previously not possible to monetize.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Additionally, Schumer told Punchbowl News that the outcome of the midterm elections has no bearing on his decision to seek party leadership.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of outcome
Noun
  • Once, apparently, my aunt had tried to shove my infant mother off their mother’s lap.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Many of these elements have been seen around infant stars before, notably in the system PDS 70, but not in unison.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • By comparison, strong fluid flows elongated the cells and caused DNA damage, a crucial control detail that explains why past experiments might have yielded misleading results.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The result is something that looks dressy with minimal effort but feels like your favorite pair of yoga pants.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of result
Noun
  • Between working from home, being a busy mom to a toddler, and prioritizing comfort, matching sets are my go-to uniform.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Available now, the free update features one new hairstyle, three adult hairstyles now available for kids and three new CAS assets for toddlers.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of toddler
Noun
  • Surprisingly, despite his role in the Fast & Furious franchise and the resultant persona fans project on him, Gibson is, admittedly, not interested in pursuing motorsport and had never been drifting.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Ilie and Ghodla modeled the environment in which the resultant black hole seeds would exist and merge, calculating merger rates and the influence on the gravitational wave background.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of resultant
Noun
  • In February 2025, Timpf welcomed her first child, a baby boy.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Lipnicki plays a character known only by the screen name of Crazyfrog73, someone who gets caught in a compromising position in the kitchen while hoping to hook up with a boy played by Gisondo.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of boy

Phrases Containing child

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chignons
child
child's play
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Cite this Entry

“Child.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/child. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on child

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about child

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