preteen
noun
pre·teen
| \ ˈprē-ˈtēn
, -ˌtēn\
, -ˌtēn\
Definition of preteen
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
preteen
adjectiveDefinition of preteen (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group
preteen fashions
2
: being younger than 13
Examples of preteen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The students ranged from preteens to retirees, from novice learners to semi-professionals. — Elizabeth Nonemaker, baltimoresun.com, "Guitar maker Paul Reed Smith brings all-star lineup of musicians to help teach a class in Annapolis," 28 Aug. 2019 Many current youth players were inspired to pick up a stick as preteens by the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup wins in 2010, ’13 and ’15. — Shannon Ryan, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois is in ‘the red zone’ for adding a Division I hockey program. And for top area players, it’s an if-you-build-it-we-will-come scenario.," 20 Aug. 2019 By Gen Z, for Gen Z Millie Bobby Brown made her Stranger Things debut on Netflix in 2016, as the telekinetic preteen Eleven. — Kate Dwyer, Fortune, "Stranger Things Star Millie Bobby Brown Launches Gen Z Beauty Line," 20 Aug. 2019 But that surprise has nothing to do with the series' inherent preteen-friendliness. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus," 16 Aug. 2019 One glance at the moment brought to mind variations championed by young Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, or a fresh-on-the-scene Lindsay Lohan, but with an edge that felt more sophisticated than preteen. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Emily Ratajkowski Is Officially Reviving This ’90s Hair Style," 11 July 2019 The meta-analysis does tie violent video games to a small increase in physical aggression among adolescents and preteens. — Melinda Wenner Moyer, Scientific American, "Do Violent Video Games Trigger Aggression?," 2 Oct. 2018 Tetanus is a serious disease (1 to 2 in 10 cases can lead to death) caused by bacteria in the environment but it can be protected by a vaccine the CDC recommends for babies, children, preteens, teenagers, and adults. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "4 Doctors on the Frustration, Anxiety, and Fear of Treating Patients with Vaccine-Preventable Illnesses," 26 Aug. 2019 The worst part is seeing that their preteens were forced to grow up too soon. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Cross-border schooling ends Tijuana Little League dream of making World Series," 3 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Racioppi said, citing a Netflix show about drag queens and his friend’s preteen daughter questioning her gender. — Dan Adams, BostonGlobe.com, "Ignore the Straight Pride Parade or fight it? LGBTQ community divided over how to respond," 29 Aug. 2019 On YouTube, Siwa has 10 million subscribers, mostly grade-school kids and preteen girls who listen to her music, consume her lifestyle content and beg for the hundreds—thousands?—of products featured throughout both. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Time, "'What Do People Want Me to Do? Wear Black Every Day?': How Child Star JoJo Siwa Built Her Sparkly Empire," 22 Aug. 2019 What would Del Toro-lite be like when adapting a hair-raising favorite from the glut of preteen horror series out there? — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ sees Guillermo del Toro get his teen horror freak on," 8 Aug. 2019 What would Del Toro-lite be like when adapting a hair-raising favorite from the glut of preteen horror series out there? — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ sees del Toro get his teen horror freak on," 8 Aug. 2019 Katla soon finds a suitable husband (Valdimar Orn Flygenring, a bit wooden and hardly up to the level of his co-stars), but his preteen son (Geirlaug Sunna Pormar) longs for his deceased birth mother and has no interest in his father’s new love. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "‘The Juniper Tree’ review: When the Brothers Grimm traveled to Iceland, with Bjork," 10 July 2019 Outside, ATVs commanded by preteen boys in cowboy hats occupy parking spaces beside full-sized pickups. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Inside an All-White Town’s Divisive Experiment With Cryptocurrency," 6 June 2019 German filmmaker Viktor Jakovleski follows one family in particular, looking at the cottage industry, culture and festival through the eyes of their preteen son, Santiago. — Lorraine Ali, latimes.com, "Review: 'Brimstone & Glory' looks at a small town in Mexico where fireworks are made," 1 July 2018 The artist from Austin, Texas, has her first exhibition in L.A. at the Luis De Jesus gallery, and the collage and text works explore preteen awkwardness and the syncretic nature of black female identity. — Sharon Mizota, latimes.com, "Deborah Roberts' powerful statement of black female identity," 29 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'preteen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for preteen
preteen
noun
English Language Learners Definition of preteen
: a boy or girl who is 11 or 12 years old
See the full definition for preteen in the English Language Learners Dictionary