girlhood

noun

Definition of girlhoodnext
1
as in boyhood

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in maidenhood

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 girlhood Chester Dale, whose bequest forms the core of the NGA’s Cassatt holdings, favored the range of her female subjects, from girlhood and adolescence to adulthood and old age. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 Now, she's been immortalized with a Barbie doll and the pink energy of girlhood is headed for State Farm Arena. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Fast makes no concessions to the male characters, committing fully to an appreciation of supportive girlhood, at the expense of the other gender. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 When they were painted, they were drenched in all the promise and privilege of a pampered girlhood. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 These joyous lines of song help kick off Netflix’s fresh new take on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic novels of pioneer girlhood, Little House on the Prairie. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026 As can be found in the books, Laura Ingalls (played by Alice Halsey) and her older sister Mary (Skywalker Hughes) have very different ways of going about girlhood. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 June 2026 Stressful texts aside, Zortea turns to the group chat for the girlhood. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Beyond its tartness, its specificity, and the sensuous, elliptical line work of its prose, the book serves as a vinegary corrective to the novel of nostalgic country-house girlhood. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girlhood
  1. boyhood
  2. maidenhood
  3. childhood
  4. adolescence
Noun
  • Today, Armstrong's two-story boyhood home is an occasional stop for visitors of the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, even though the house itself isn't open for tours.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • And Harry’s boyhood travels between Jamaica and New York fed his understanding of both.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of boyhood
Noun
  • Even so, the belief in Mary’s life-long maidenhood is widely shared by members of the Eastern Orthodox Church and by some Lutherans.
    — Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
Definition of maidenhood
Noun
  • The executive order draws its recommendations from a January review that compared the childhood vaccine schedule in the US with those of other developed countries.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • By that definition, Chang’s childhood lasted through adolescence and deep into her adult years.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of childhood
Noun
  • Chester Dale, whose bequest forms the core of the NGA’s Cassatt holdings, favored the range of her female subjects, from girlhood and adolescence to adulthood and old age.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • These days, more kids are specializing in one sport at younger ages, as opposed to playing multiple sports into adolescence.
    — Holly Santman, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescence

Browse Nearby Words

girlfriends
girlhood
girlhoods
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Girlhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girlhood. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on girlhood

Nglish: Translation of girlhood for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All