: 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
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
But she would probably never get used to middle-aged men beset by the same giddiness as all those preteens, just as eager to stand next to her boy.
—New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Adam England, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
People packed into cars with their aging relatives and their preteen children.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preteen
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Noun
Topolánszky and Sümeghy, both wearing custom tuxedos, followed by Magyar and the youngest of his three sons, Miklós, who is a preteen.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
But she would probably never get used to middle-aged men beset by the same giddiness as all those preteens, just as eager to stand next to her boy.
—New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Adjective
Kaylee isn't the only preteen to have made the news for selling lemonade in recent days.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
People packed into cars with their aging relatives and their preteen children.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preteen
Cite this Entry
“Preteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preteen. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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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