preteen

[pree-teen]

noun

1. Also called preteenager. Also called preteener. a boy or girl under the age of 13, especially one between the ages of 9 and 12.

2. preteens, the years immediately preceding one's thirteenth birthday.

adjective

1. designating or characteristic of a preteen or preteens.

   two preteen daughters.

preteen

/ priːˈtiːn /

noun

1. a boy or girl approaching his or her teens

Word History and Origins

Origin of preteen¹

First recorded in 1950–55; pre- + teen ¹

Example Sentences

“Kids and preteens,” a recent National Research Group report concluded, “have been the driving force behind many of the biggest theatrical success stories of the past three years.”

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Through these exchanges, Gillespie tried to set up a meeting with a preteen girl in Lebanon County, some 200 miles east of Pittsburgh.

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As a preteen, it was that displayed strength that first drew me to Lansbury.

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Sidhwa would conduct a poll of dozens of American doctors, nurses and medics who said they, too, had treated preteen children who had been shot in the head.

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When Rubio was a preteen, her maternal grandmother even pushed her to audition for “La Voz Kids,” the Spanish offshoot of “The Voice” for singers under the age of 15.

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Related Words

• juvenile 
• minor 
• teenager 
• tween 
• youngster 
• youth