: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
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
Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Louis, who has two teenagers, a preteen and her mother living in Haiti, arrived in South Florida two years ago from Brazil after making the dangerous 7,000 mile trek on foot with her two young sons, now ages 5 and 4.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The Disney+ original movie Out of My Mind, based on the novel of the same name by Sharon M. Draper, follows preteen Melody Brooks (Phoebe-Rae Taylor), a girl with cerebral palsy.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 June 2025
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Noun
His mother remembers him as a preteen glued to the TV when Shark Tank came on and asking for a few hundred bucks for his birthday to start an E-Trade account and buy Apple stock.
—Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Louis, who has two teenagers, a preteen and her mother living in Haiti, arrived in South Florida two years ago from Brazil after making the dangerous 7,000 mile trek on foot with her two young sons, now ages 5 and 4.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
Adjective
Eli Mintz, a Yiddish-theatre star, played Uncle David with a high, wheedling voice, his hands a blur of gesticulation, and the Goldberg children were portrayed by Gentile actors, including the endearing Arlene (Fuzzy) McQuade as the preteen Rosalie, a studious girl with a sleek bob.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The Disney+ original movie Out of My Mind, based on the novel of the same name by Sharon M. Draper, follows preteen Melody Brooks (Phoebe-Rae Taylor), a girl with cerebral palsy.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preteen
Cite this Entry
“Preteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preteen. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preteen
1 of 2 noun
pre·teen
ˈprē-ˈtēn 
: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
preteen
2 of 2 adjective1
: 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
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