Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Without offspring; having no children: Describes a person, couple, or family unit that has not produced or does not have any biological or adopted children.

Usage

• The adjective childless is used to describe a state or condition. It is neutral in tone but can carry emotional or social connotations depending on context.
• It typically modifies nouns like , , , , or .
• It describes a factual situation and does not inherently imply a choice (e.g., "childless by choice") or a circumstance (e.g., "involuntarily childless").

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Childless by choice": Explicitly states that not having children is a deliberate decision.
  • They are a happy, childless-by-choice couple focused on their careers.
• "Involuntarily childless": Used to specify that the absence of children is not by choice, often due to infertility or circumstance.
  • Support groups exist for involuntarily childless individuals.

Variants and Related Words

• Childlessness (noun): The state or condition of being without children.
  • Her research focuses on the social perceptions of childlessness.

Synonyms

• Without children: A more direct, phrase-based synonym.
• Barren: An archaic and often offensive term, historically applied primarily to women, implying an inability to bear children. Note: This term is generally avoided in modern usage due to its negative connotations.

Antonyms

• Parent: A person who has a child or children.
• Fecund: Capable of producing offspring or fruit; fertile.

Adjective

1. without offspring
   • in some societies a childless woman is rejected by her tribesmen