child
noun
a person between birth and puberty or full growth.
child
1 American
[chahyld]
/ tʃaɪld /
noun
-
children
plural
-
a person between birth and puberty or full growth.
books for children.
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a son or daughter; offspring considered with regard to parents.
All my children are married.
-
a baby or infant.
A child of six months can recognize family members.
-
a human fetus.
My sister is seven months pregnant with a healthy child.
-
a childish person.
He's such a child about money.
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a descendant.
a child of an ancient breed.
-
any person or thing regarded as the product or result of particular agencies, influences, etc..
Abstract art is a child of the 20th century.
-
a person regarded as conditioned or marked by a given circumstance, situation, etc..
a child of poverty; a child of famine.
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British Dialect, Archaic. a female infant.
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Archaic. childe.
idioms
Child
2
American
[chahyld]
/ tʃaɪld /
noun
-
Julia, 1912–2004, U.S. gourmet cook, author, and television personality.
-
Lydia Maria (Francis), 1802–80, U.S. author, abolitionist, and social reformer.
child
British
/ tʃaɪld /
noun
-
-
a boy or girl between birth and puberty
-
( as modifier )
child labour
-
-
a baby or infant
-
an unborn baby
-
another term for pregnant
-
a human offspring; a son or daughter
-
a childish or immature person
-
a member of a family or tribe; descendant
a child of Israel
-
a person or thing regarded as the product of an influence or environment
a child of nature
-
dialect a female infant
child
More Idioms
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Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of child
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English cild; akin to Gothic kilthai “womb”
Explanation
A child is a young person who's typically older than a baby but younger than a teen. As a child, you probably had your parents watching over you as you played in a sandbox. The noun child come from the Old English word cild, meaning "child, infant." Retaining a similar meaning into modern times, the word still refers to a young person, male or female. But you can be considered a child after reaching adulthood — in the eyes of your parents, at least. Immature behavior like throwing a temper tantrum can also mark you as a child. The word can also refer to someone in a clan or tribe, young or old.
Vocabulary lists containing child
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“So they worked hard, and now they have maybe a wife and a child, and they are out on the street.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
But Truman felt that, over time, there was a risk of chronic cyanide poisoning, and that laetrile was far too dangerous to administer to a child.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
US media reported that some people were pulled from the rubble, including a child carried out on a stretcher.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
The child must either have difficulty getting about or need more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
But sitting across from a grieving child, I can’t bring myself to carry through with the plan, or to even be in the house at all.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
The Elevance lawsuit said the Perfect Child had a contract with its insurance units until June of this year that required it to accept in-network payment rates when treating its members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne – who wrote the films Wonder and Enola Holmes, as well as the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child stage play – is also providing financial backing to the scheme.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“I’ve had a robust career,” said Gand, who has worked with Julia Child, hosted a Food Network cooking show and written cookbooks, “but never thought my jerky would be in the movies.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
The Perfect Child subsequently sued Wu in an effort to collect about $20,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
But all we had was Aunt May’s worn-out copy of Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care, which she had reached for every time I threw up as a child.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
By 1977, the predicted survival rate for children was around 50 percent and rising.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
According to the Guardian, ministers have warned the entertainment industry that it must bring in better protections for women and children, or face a "crackdown".
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to the U.K. in August with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have been settling into their new lives across the pond.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
The outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli left more than a dozen people who visited the popular Brookshire Farms in late October with symptoms, including three children reportedly put in pediatric intensive care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Clare looked around helplessly, his good ear perked for sounds of the other children.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
