child-free
adjective
variants
or less commonly childfree
: without children: such as
a
: not including or allowing children : excluding children
a child-free vacation
Create a 3-foot child-free zone around hot spots like stoves, turkey fryers and ovens …—
The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)I hoped most of the parents invited to the wedding would consider it a nice "date-night" evening to have with their significant others, child-free.—Morris (Illinois) Daily Herald
Morris (Illinois) Daily HeraldWhile there have been several U.S.-based petitions for child-free flights, the practice is less likely to seep over into the American market …—Veronika Bondarenko
Veronika Bondarenko
b
usually childfree
: not having children especially by choice
Where there was once the traditional nuclear family of 2.4 children, we are now seeing an increasing number of people in different family units, whether that be childfree families, single-parent families, step or even extended families.—Lara Bealing
Lara Bealing… choosing to be a mother and choosing to be childfree are both decisions worth celebrating because the celebration is in the fact that a woman chose the trajectory of her life.—Phoebe Robinson
Phoebe RobinsonAbout two years ago when a promising relationship failed, she resigned herself to not having children and embraced all that is good about being child-free.—Mike Bruce
Mike BruceThere are various reasons why someone would be child-free by choice. Some hold the political idea that with overpopulation and resource shortages, being child-free is the ethical choice.—Rachel Cargle
compare childless
Rachel CargleExamples of child-free in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
A couple were trying to enjoy a quiet, child-free morning—but their cat had very different plans, leaving internet viewers in stitches.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
There are many reasons why people decide on child-free weddings — the alcohol, the noise, the unavoidable unruliness — but the bottom line remains that the wedding couple set a boundary and the parents ignored it, many comments stated.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
By her early fifties Gay was twice divorced, child-free and working as a program manager at FedEx in Memphis.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Millennials Without Kids Not all millennials are parents, but those who are, along with those who remain child-free, influence consumer trends in distinct ways.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Davidman references people who didn’t want to be parents but end up enjoying it, and those who want children but enjoy their full, child-free lives.
—Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
Today, many Americans can join a polyamorous triad, remain child-free by choice, launch a new career in their 30s, or dedicate themselves to running ultramarathons, all without ruffling any feathers within their community.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025
The third installment, out on May 13, will tell the story of Hendrix, a successful, independent businesswoman who is child-free by choice.
—Taryn Finley, Essence, 4 Mar. 2025
Some progressives seem fine with child-free propaganda.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
There are many reasons why people decide on child-free weddings — the alcohol, the noise, the unavoidable unruliness — but the bottom line remains that the wedding couple set a boundary and the parents ignored it, many comments stated.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
By her early fifties Gay was twice divorced, child-free and working as a program manager at FedEx in Memphis.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Millennials Without Kids Not all millennials are parents, but those who are, along with those who remain child-free, influence consumer trends in distinct ways.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Davidman references people who didn’t want to be parents but end up enjoying it, and those who want children but enjoy their full, child-free lives.
—Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
Today, many Americans can join a polyamorous triad, remain child-free by choice, launch a new career in their 30s, or dedicate themselves to running ultramarathons, all without ruffling any feathers within their community.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025
The third installment, out on May 13, will tell the story of Hendrix, a successful, independent businesswoman who is child-free by choice.
—Taryn Finley, Essence, 4 Mar. 2025
Some progressives seem fine with child-free propaganda.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Child-free.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/child-free. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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