childhood

American  

[chahyld-hood] / ˈtʃaɪld hʊd /

noun

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.

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childhood British  

/ ˈtʃaɪldhʊd /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• prechildhood
  noun

Etymology

Origin of childhood

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

Example Sentences

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

Childhood anxiety diagnoses rose 54% between 2016 and 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 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

Childhood friends and international students Marwan Hamouche and Arthur Perroud are training together at their local Fitness First branch in London, between their business lectures.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

It is a common consequence, written about in the medical literature under such titles as “Cognitive Effects of Childhood Leukemia Therapy” and “Disruption of Learning Processes by Chemotherapeutic Agents.”

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove