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preteen

American  
[pree-teen] / priˈtin /

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 British  
/ priːˈtiːn /

noun

  1. a boy or girl approaching his or her teens

"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

Etymology

Origin of preteen

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

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.

Sindarov, however, has been on the fast track to greatness since he was a preteen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

He started sumo wrestling, too, and as a preteen was mesmerized by a YouTube clip he saw of a famous match between sumo legends Takanohana and Asashoryu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

Soon after leaving that program in 2022, Audrey, who is now 21, was diagnosed with a second chronic illness: EDS, which she’d likely been living with since she was a preteen.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

I didn’t want to appear rude, but as a preteen girl, I thought, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything in here.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

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.