preteen
Americannoun
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Also called preteenager. Also called preteener. a boy or girl under the age of 13, especially one between the ages of 9 and 12.
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preteens, the years immediately preceding one's thirteenth birthday.
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of preteen
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.
A mother who sees other women as her direct competition isn’t just creepy; she’s dangerous — and the fact that, in this case, the other women are preteen girls makes it even worse.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
To his exacting teen and preteen audience, “the Danish person,” as they disobligingly christen him, looks like the houseguest from hell.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
He started sumo wrestling, too, and as a preteen was mesmerized by a YouTube clip he saw of a famous match between sumo legends Takanohana and Asashoryu.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026
The author describes being drawn to Lansbury as a preteen, seeing in her character a woman confidently creating stories and outmaneuvering powerful men in investigations.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025
I didn’t want to appear rude, but as a preteen girl, I thought, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything in here.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
