childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d 
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
Then, as those kids grew up and, inevitably, got sentimental about their childhood, the diner adopted a standard set of surface-level signifiers and effectively turned itself into a nostalgia factory.
—
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
The people in the couple’s lives have had nothing but kind things to say in the aftermath, with Donna changing her Facebook banner to show side-by-side childhood photos of her youngest son and Swift.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2025
Mississippi, Louisiana and other states have experimented with shaking up reading curriculums and passing laws aimed at improving childhood literacy.
—Gordon Ebanks, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
My neighbors on one side, a three-generation family, had owned their house since the eighties; another neighbor, catty-corner, had moved back into his childhood home.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childhood
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Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
The people in the couple’s lives have had nothing but kind things to say in the aftermath, with Donna changing her Facebook banner to show side-by-side childhood photos of her youngest son and Swift.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2025
Mississippi, Louisiana and other states have experimented with shaking up reading curriculums and passing laws aimed at improving childhood literacy.
—Gordon Ebanks, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
My neighbors on one side, a three-generation family, had owned their house since the eighties; another neighbor, catty-corner, had moved back into his childhood home.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childhood
Cite this Entry
“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/childhood. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d
: the state or time of being a child
Medical Definition
childhood
noun
child·hood
ˈchīld-ˌhu̇d
: the state or period of being a child
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