noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of childhood
before 950; Middle English childhode, Old English cildhād. See child, -hood
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.
Both depend on work permits and legal protection afforded under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program created by President Obama in 2012 for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Kate set up The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, working to highlight the importance of a child's early years.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
She will be accompanied on this fact-finding trip by Christian Guy, executive director of the Centre for Early Childhood, who explained its longer-term significance.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
“Influencerdom is the new American dream,” journalist Fortesa Latifi proclaimed earlier this month at the launch of her book “Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online.”
From Salon • May 10, 2026
The units of study this year will be “The Use of Human Subjects in Medical Research,” “The Rising Rates of Childhood Obesity,” and “The Environment, Climate Change, and Racism.”
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
