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 Among them was a pledge to restore headcount in the school system’s early childhood division, starting with 200 new hires. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Forged in crucibles of traumatic childhoods and unthinkable loss, both Batman and Alice seek to right wrongs that the criminal justice system won’t touch. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026 In order to test him during his childhood, his parents do everything from shooting an apple off his head to leaving him stranded in a dangerous part of town, forcing John to fend for himself. — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Lainey shared a slew of photos from growing up with Parton, some from childhood and others taken onstage with the country star. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for childhood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childhood
  1. youth
  2. adolescence
Noun
  • The former England youth and then 10-time senior Ghana international is still only 25 and has over 100 games of Premier League experience with Chelsea and Brighton.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Videos of the confrontations got hundreds of thousands of views on social media, a burst of attention for a conservative youth organization that is charting its next chapter after last year's assassination of its leader Charlie Kirk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of youth
Noun
  • The novel explores the challenges of making a life both within and without the arts, and how that unfolds from adolescence into adulthood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The two had known each other since adolescence, and what began as an effort to document his musical comeback evolved into an intimate chronicle of addiction, mental-health struggles, friendship and loss.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 31 Aug. 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 6 Sep. 2026.

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