Definition of nonagenext
1
as in childhood
the state or time of being a child the short stories of the novelist's nonage have only recently been discovered by scholars

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2
as in adolescence
the transitional period between childhood and adulthood the indiscretions of his long-ago nonage have come back to haunt him now that he's a serious presidential contender

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonage
Noun
  • What happens in childhood shapes the health, productivity, and resilience of the nation for decades to come.
    — Stanley McChrystal, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This partnership with Hershey’s has also given KATSEYE a chance to revisit some childhood memories.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The preschoolers who had a tough time delaying gratification— who ate the first marshmallow—were less academically and socially skilled, eloquent, attentive, and not as good at managing frustration in adolescence.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But bringing their three teenagers—Joey (17), Sundance (16), and Scout(13)— to the island at this precise window of adolescence felt different from the start.
    — Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Yet as related here in the low-key delivery of someone who not just survived but lived to be 101 years old, Jaku was able to enjoy the love, peace, contentment and security he was denied in his youth.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino is curious, too, about the generational shift in youth culture.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Nonage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonage. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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