Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state or period of being a child: The time in a person's life from birth to the beginning of adulthood, typically before puberty or adolescence.
   • The early stage in the existence or development of something: Used figuratively to describe the beginning or formative period of an idea, movement, or object.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • She had a very happy childhood in the countryside.
  • Memories of my childhood came flooding back when I visited my old school.
  • The company is still in its childhood, having been founded only two years ago.

Advanced Usage

• "A second childhood": A period in old age when a person's mental faculties are perceived to decline, leading to childlike behavior.

  • After the stroke, he seemed to enter a second childhood, needing constant care.

• "From childhood": Since the time one was a child.

  • They have been friends from childhood.

• "Childhood friend": A friend one has had since being a child.

  • He met up with a childhood friend he hadn't seen in decades.

Variants and Related Words

• Child (n): A young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority.
• Childish (adj): Of, like, or appropriate to a child. (Often used negatively to imply silliness or immaturity).
  • He was criticized for his childish behavior during the meeting.
• Childlike (adj): Having the good qualities, such as innocence, associated with a child.
  • She has a childlike wonder about the world.

Synonyms

• Youth: The period between childhood and adult age.
• Boyhood/Girlhood: The state or time of being a boy or a girl.
• Infancy: The early stage of childhood or development.

Antonyms

• Adulthood: The state or period of being fully grown or mature.
• Old age: The later part of normal life.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Childhood's end": The point marking the conclusion of one's childhood, often associated with gaining difficult knowledge or responsibility.

  • Learning about the family's financial struggles felt like childhood's end for her.

• "A product of one's childhood": Something heavily influenced or shaped by one's early life experiences.

  • His distrust of authority is a product of his childhood.

Noun

1. the state of a child between infancy and adolescence
2. the time of person's life when they are a child