childhood

American

[chahyld-hood] / ˈtʃaɪld hʊd /

noun

the state or period of being a child.

Synonyms:

girlhood, boyhood, youth
the early stage in the existence of something.

the childhood of the human race.

childhood British

/ ˈtʃaɪldhʊd /

noun

the condition of being a child; the period of life before puberty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

prechildhood

noun

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.

He has been walking on the beach for more than 50 years, since his childhood spent in a 1960s ranch house three doors down from Domagala.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

He's arriving at this World Cup in the finest form of his life, a Europa League winner, a Champions League place secured for next season and his childhood World Cup dream realised.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

K.B. is upfront about his father’s emotional distance and absenteeism during his childhood.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

Hayakawa pulls from her childhood in multiple ways for her sophomore feature, which premiered in competition at Cannes last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

The sight of a stern judge demanding a book from him had been the stuff of his nightmares since childhood.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023