childhood

noun

ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce childhood (audio)
Definition of childhoodnext
as in youth
the state or time of being a child enjoy your childhood—it won't last forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of childhood The Queens, New York native played baseball throughout her childhood as the only girl on almost all of her teams. — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 27 July 2026 Our divorced mom apparently stole and kept some of my childhood journals. — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 27 July 2026 The surge has come amid a backdrop of drastic changes to childhood vaccinations. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 27 July 2026 John Cena stars as a former soldier turned spy named Sean Walker who decides to reunite with his childhood Matchbox car-loving friends, played by Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for childhood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childhood
  1. youth
  2. adolescence
Noun
  • What may have seemed acceptable in the early consumer software days looks different after more than a decade of hard lessons about social media's impact on youth and as AI use becomes pervasive.
    — Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Anti-vaping advocates have said that e-cigarettes in kid-friendly flavors have increased in use among youth and young adults.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of youth
Noun
  • The event benefits Boys to Men Mentoring, which has been helping teenage boys navigate adolescence through mentoring for nearly 30 years.
    — Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2026
  • By late adolescence, my relatives’ narrative was on how much agency enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue had in shaping their future.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Definition of adolescence

Phrases Containing childhood

Browse Nearby Words

childbirths
childhood
childish
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Cite this Entry

“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childhood. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on childhood

Nglish: Translation of childhood for Spanish Speakers

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