childhood

American  

[chahyld-hood] / ˈtʃaɪld hʊd /

noun

childhoods plural

1. the state or period of being a child.

   Synonyms:

   girlhood, boyhood, youth

2. the early stage in the existence of something.

   the childhood of the human race.

---

childhood British  

/ ˈtʃaɪldhʊd /

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prechildhood
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• childhoods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of childhood

before 950; Middle English childhode, Old English cildhād. See child, -hood

Example Sentences

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

She 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 14, 2026

She launched her Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, which explores how difficult adult problems, including addiction and mental health issues, can have deep roots in early childhood.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Childhood anxiety diagnoses rose 54% between 2016 and 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

For the talent show, I was to play a piece called “Pleading Child” from Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan