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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.
Examples of kid in a Sentence
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
For children ages four and up, there’s the Adventure Zone kids club with indoor slides and arts and crafts, while fish feeding and guided nature walks happen at the Eco Centre.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Zucker watched the video and thought Harper — more known for his brush with greatness as a two-time NL MVP — was kidding.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
Gilpin isn’t kidding about the haunting.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kid
Cite this Entry
“Kid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kid. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kid
2 of 2 verb
