puerilism

American

[pyoo-er-uh-liz-uhm, pyoor-uh-] / ˈpyu ər əˌlɪz əm, ˈpyʊər ə- /

noun

Psychiatry.

childishness in the behavior of an adult.

puerilism British

/ ˈpjʊərɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

psychiatry immature or childish behaviour by an adult

"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 puerilism

First recorded in 1920–25; puerile + -ism

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.

Such reactions, though occasionally given by normal subjects, are more often given by insane ones, and seem to be somewhat characteristic of states of mental deterioration which are clinically rather loosely described as puerilism.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023