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Synonyms

childlike

American  
[chahyld-lahyk] / ˈtʃaɪldˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. like a child, as in innocence, frankness, etc.; befitting a child.

    childlike trust.
    Synonyms:
    innocent, trusting, guileless, simple, ingenuous, young
    Antonyms:
    adult, sophisticated
childlike British  
/ ˈtʃaɪldˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. like or befitting a child, as in being innocent, trustful, etc Compare childish

"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

Related Words

See childish.

Other Word Forms

  • childlikeness noun
  • unchildlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of childlike

First recorded in 1580–90; child + -like

Vocabulary lists containing childlike

Naive

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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.

Their excitement was almost childlike, and I mean that in the best possible way.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

“A Good Day’s Work” sets out to recast Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

And while their mission demands extreme precision, there is still room for childlike levity.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

“Snoop has a joy about him, a childlike curiosity, and he’s also a people person,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of programming for NBC’s Olympics coverage.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

It was beautiful and pleasant to go through the world like that, so childlike, so awakened, so concerned with the immediate, without any distrust.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

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.