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

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childlike British  

/ ˈtʃaɪldˌlaɪk /

adjective

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

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Synonym Usage

See childish.

Other Word Forms

• childlikeness
  noun
• unchildlike
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of childlike

First recorded in 1580–90; child + -like

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

childlike

Dementia can make patients angry, or placid, or childlike, or even seem to time travel in their minds to where they believe they are children again.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

"The handwriting is nothing like her handwriting in the original letter, which is almost a childlike scrawl. The second one is an elegant, joined-up cursive."

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Ahead of the sound bath, Oso Sound Healing founder Avery Whitmore said the unconventional space would invite a childlike energy, a deeper connection to animals and introspection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

“I would pull up an oboe sound, and he’d play it,” says Barton, “and it was sort of a childlike thing where he was just like, ‘Oh, this allows me to hear my ideas.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

The childlike smile was constantly on her lips while she went about her preparations.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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Related Words

• childish
• guileless

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