Childhood

Pronunciation

Origin

From Middle English childhod, from Old English ċildhād ("childhood"), from ċild ("child") + -hād ("-hood"), equivalent to child + -hood.

Full definition of childhood

Noun

1. (uncountable) The state of being a child.
• 2013, Terrie Moffitt et al., Lifelong Impact of Early Self-Control, To our own surprise, our 40-year study of 1,000 children revealed that childhood self-control strongly predicts adult success, in people of high or low intelligence, in rich or poor, and does so throughout the entire population, with a step change in health, wealth, and social success at every level of self-control.
2. The time during which one is a child, from between infancy and puberty.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter Foreword, He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him … of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood.
3. (by extension) The early stages of development of something.
• Shakespearethe childhood of our joy

Derived terms

• second childhood