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child

noun, often attributive
\ ˈchī(-ə)ld How to pronounce child (audio) \
plural children\ ˈchil-​drən How to pronounce children (audio) , -​dərn \

Definition of child

 (Entry 1 of 3)

1a : an unborn or recently born person
b dialect : a female infant
2a : a young person especially between infancy and youth a play for both children and adults
b : a childlike or childish person He is a child in most business matters.
c : a person not yet of age Under the law she is still a child.
3 usually childe \ ˈchī(-​ə)ld How to pronounce childe (audio) \, archaic : a youth of noble birth
4a : a son or daughter of human parents Do you have any children?
b : descendant the children of Israel
5 : one strongly influenced by another or by a place or state of affairs a child of the streets a child of nature America has been called "the first child of the Enlightenment"
6 : product, result barbed wire … is truly a child of the plains— W. P. Webb
with child
: pregnant

Child

biographical name (1)
\ ˈchī(-ə)ld How to pronounce Child (audio) \

Definition of Child (Entry 2 of 3)

Francis James 1825–1896 American ballad editor

Child

biographical name (2)

Definition of Child (Entry 3 of 3)

Julia (Carolyn) 1912–2004 née McWilliams American chef
Other Words from child Synonyms & Antonyms Is the word kid slang? More Example Sentences Learn More about child

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Other Words from child

Noun

childless \ ˈchī(-​ə)l(d)-​ləs How to pronounce childless (audio) \ adjective
childlessness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for child

Synonyms: Noun

bairn [chiefly Scottish], bambino, bud, chap [Southern & Midland], chick, cub, juvenile, kid, kiddie (also kiddy), kiddo, moppet, sprat, sprout, squirt, whelp, youngling, youngster, youth

Antonyms: Noun

adult, grown-up

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Is the word kid slang?

Some people worry that kid, when used of a child rather than a juvenile goat, is either slang or too colloquial to merit acceptance in standard English.

The fact is that we have been using kid to refer to a child that is human, rather than goatish, for more than three hundred years now. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that although this word was considered “low slang” when it first began being used, it had entered “familiar speech” by the 19th century.

In contemporary English, kid is neither slang nor improper. It is, however, most definitely informal, so those writing professionally or in a formal register might prefer to use child.

Examples of child in a Sentence

Noun

 the birth of a child She's pregnant with their first child. a play for both children and adults All of their children are grown now. an elderly couple and their adult children Men are such children sometimes.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Her parents did not understand how to handle a child with Down syndrome (on top of 11 others), and her father had a gambling addiction. — Priya Krishna, Bon Appétit, "The Vietnamese Sandwich Shop Teaching Dallas How to Hire Differently," 12 Sep. 2019 Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Scher sentenced Edwards to 12 years in state prison for her manslaughter-of-a-child conviction. — Marc Freeman, sun-sentinel.com, "Woman who cracked nephew baby’s skull gets 12 years," 11 Sep. 2019 There’s nothing more genuine than a child’s show of affection, and that’s exactly what Tekara Capron witnessed (times four!) when her three-year-old son Makai Simmons returned to preschool on Monday. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Three-Year-Old Florida Boy Embraced by Classmates After Surviving Dorian in the Bahamas," 11 Sep. 2019 Two other figures, a man and a child paying their respects to their fallen heroes, will be positioned around the star. — courant.com, "Community News For The East Hartford Edition," 11 Sep. 2019 Their rescue plot was hatched over poker games on the family's porch, poker games that Weston recalled watching as a child. — The Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Alice Weston, Cincinnati arts patron and a visual artist, dead at 93," 11 Sep. 2019 To win the affection of her mother, a former cheerleader herself, who berated Vicky as a child for not following in her footsteps. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Cheerleader Movies Are Big Business for Lifetime," 10 Sep. 2019 Claisom wants to challenge this notion and dispel people’s negative perception of insects—in particular, non-honey producing bees—by creating a children’s storybook. — National Geographic, "Meet Our 2018 Grant Winners!," 10 Sep. 2019 Kwik Trip How many of us have forgotten to make lunch for our kids, only to wake up and find a child who refuses to eat the hot lunch on that day’s menu? — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Skip the PB&J and pack a Wisconsin school lunch inspired by tailgating, Kwik Trip and the State Fair," 10 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'child.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of child

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for child

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cild; akin to Goth kilthei womb, and perhaps to Sanskrit jaṭhara belly

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