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

Relevance

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 There is a blank space in your memory where your childhood should be. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 According to the individuals, guests first entered the venue and walked through a tunnel that featured photos of Swift and Kelce throughout the years, from childhood through their relationship together. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 6 July 2026 Rhaenyra has returned home to the Red Keep and King’s Landing and she’s faced with memories of her father and her childhood while dealing with all the problems — the rats, the lack of funds — left by the Hightower regime. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 6 July 2026 As Hollis’s Type A college bestie and sardonic childhood soul mate, respectively, Regina Hall and Chloë Sevigny make prickly women lovable. — Judy Berman, Time, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for childhood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childhood
  1. youth
  2. adolescence
Noun
  • People college-aged and above were more likely to hurt fingers, while youth up through those in high school were most likely to hit their heads.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • The feeling immediately evokes the ease of summers of our youth when the days seemed to stretch out forever.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
Definition of youth
Noun
  • Like the real lives of American teens, the show made the everyday problems of high school and teen relationships feel like life and death, giving a gravitas to adolescence desperately needed.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • The World Health Organization’s definition of adolescence from 10-19 years of age is not a categorization routinely used for surgical decision-making.
    — Kavitha Ranganathan, STAT, 29 June 2026
Definition of adolescence

Phrases Containing childhood

Browse Nearby Words

childbirths
childhood
childish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Childhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childhood. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on childhood

Nglish: Translation of childhood for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All