child

noun

ˈchī(-ə)ld 

plural children ˈchil-drən 

-dərn

often attributive

1

a

: a young person especially between infancy and puberty

a play for both children and adults

b

: a person not yet of the age of majority (see majority sense 2a)

Under the law she is still a child.

c

: a childlike or childish person

He is a child in most business matters.

2

a

: a son or daughter of human parents

Do you have any children?

b

: descendant

the children of Israel

3

a

: an unborn or recently born person

… Meghan Markle, married Prince Harry, now pregnant with child.

—Laura Simonetti

b

dialect : a female infant

4

: one strongly influenced by another or by a place or state of affairs

a child of the streets

a child of nature

America has been called "the first child of the Enlightenment"

5

: product, result

… barbed wire … is truly a child of the plains.

—W. P. Webb

6

usually childe

ˈchī(-ə)ld 

archaic : a youth of noble birth

see also:

with child

Did you know?

Is the word kid slang?

Some people worry that kid, when used of a child rather than a juvenile goat, is either slang or too colloquial to merit acceptance in standard English.

The fact is that we have been using kid to refer to a child that is human, rather than goatish, for more than three hundred years now. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that although this word was considered “low slang” when it first began being used, it had entered “familiar speech” by the 19th century.

In contemporary English, kid is neither slang nor improper. It is, however, most definitely informal, so those writing professionally or in a formal register might prefer to use child.

Synonyms of child

• kid

Examples of child in a Sentence

the birth of a child

She's pregnant with their first child.

a play for both children and adults

All of their children are grown now.

an elderly couple and their adult children

Men are such children sometimes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether the president’s January 2025 executive order applies to children born under these circumstances will likely hinge on the definition of one word in its text. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026

For families This retreat isn’t designed for children—the programming, meal structure, and daily intensity are tailored to adults fully committed to a week of health transformation. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026

At the time of the shooting, Harmon and his ex-wife, Britni Harmon, were involved in a child custody dispute, the release said. —Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026

Both are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the 2012 executive action signed by former President Barack Obama that protects people brought to the United States as children from deportation. —Juan Carlos Chavez, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cild; akin to Goth kilthei womb, and perhaps to Sanskrit jaṭhara belly

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing child

• as a child
• battered child syndrome
• big with child
• boomerang child
• child benefit
• child care
• child-free
• child-rearing
• child's play
• child support
• chrisom child
• flower child
• foster child
• great with child
• latchkey child
• love child
• man-child
• only child
• poster child
• with child

Rhymes for child

• filed
• mild
• piled
• riled
• smiled
• styled
• tiled
• wild
• beguiled
• brainchild
• compiled
• defiled

Kids Definition

child

noun

ˈchīld 

plural children ˈchil-drən 

-dərn

1

: an unborn or recently born person

2

a

: a young person especially between infancy and youth

b

: a childlike or childish person

3

: a son or daughter of human parents

childless

ˈchīl(d)-ləs 

adjective

Medical Definition

child

noun

ˈchī(ə)ld 

plural children ˈchil-drən, -dərn 

1

: an unborn or recently born person

2

: a young person especially between infancy and youth

Legal Definition

child

noun

plural children

1

: a son or daughter of any age and usually including one formally adopted compare issue

Note: The word child as used in a statute or will is often held to include a stepchild, an illegitimate child, a person for whom one stands in loco parentis, or sometimes a more remote descendant, such as a grandchild. In interpreting the word child as used in a will, the court will try to effectuate the intent of the person who made the will as it can be determined from the language of the will.

2

: a person below an age specified by law : infant, minor

assault on a child under 16 years of age

compare adult

Note: A person who is below the statutory age but is married will usually be considered an adult.

Biographical Definition

Child 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈchī(-ə)ld 

Francis James 1825–1896 American ballad editor

Child

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Julia (Carolyn) 1912–2004 née McWilliams American chef