childhood

noun

child·​hood ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
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
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.
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. 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. Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 20 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for childhood 

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

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 How to pronounce childhood (audio)
: the state or time of being a child

Medical Definition

childhood

noun
child·​hood ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
: the state or period of being a child

More from Merriam-Webster on childhood

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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