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

Academic surveys suggest that as many as 1 in 5 preteens in the US now take melatonin at least occasionally, and that some younger children consume it multiple times per week. —ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025

Here are some of the most popular: YouTube offers a separate YouTube Kids app designed for younger children, and supervised YouTube accounts for preteens. —Jacqueline Nesi, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025

Adjective

While there are no hard and fast rules, couples may want to consider a junior bridesmaid position for preteen children. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025

The model, who met Hill because her preteen son was attending his eponymous football camp in Boca Raton, reportedly went on to spend more days at the home before returning home to receive medical care. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 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