preteen

1 of 2

noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

-ˌtēn

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2

adjective

1

: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group

preteen fashions

2

: being younger than 13

Examples of preteen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At one point, the preteen smiles widely when he’s caught with his mom on the Jumbotron. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025

Unfortunately for the lovestruck preteen, Amalia’s father refused to let the burgeoning romance continue. —Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Court records allege Romero molested a preteen girl between 2018 to 2019. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025

This is the age group most likely to have received the HPV vaccine, which was first recommended in the United States in 2006 for preteen girls and boys, according to the authors. —Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preteen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

preteen

1 of 2 noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2 adjective

1

: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group

preteen fashions

2

: being younger than 13 years old