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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 movie tells the story of how police officers forcibly removed Mr. Cissé’s four sisters from their childhood home in 2008.
—
Claire Moses, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Therapists must also be mindful of developmental traumas, childhood environment, attachment issues and any other psychological factors that may have shaped their narcissistic personality, according to Durvasula.
—
Julianna Bragg, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025
Trump, who travels to NYU in a motorcade from his childhood home at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, is among the 64% of the school’s almost 30,000 students who live off campus.
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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
While Aaron grew up on a steady diet of his parents’ Chinese and Vietnamese cooking as a first-generation American, pizza was a childhood staple for Natalie, whose family has lived in America for generations.
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Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 20 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for childhood 
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Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of childhood was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing childhood
Articles Related to childhood
Dictionary Entries Near childhood
Cite this Entry
“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/childhood. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on childhood
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