A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
She had a happy childhood.
He was remembering a story heard in childhood.
...childhood illnesses.
Synonyms: youth, minority, infancy, schooldays More Synonyms of childhood
childhood in British English
(ˈtʃaɪldhʊd)
noun
the condition of being a child; the period of life before puberty
childhood in American English
(ˈtʃaɪldˌhʊd)
noun
1.
the state or time of being a child; esp., the period from infancy to puberty
2.
an early stage of development
Word origin
ME childhod < OE cildhad: see child & -hood
COBUILD Collocations
childhood
abusive childhood
idyllic childhood
normal childhood
troubled childhood
unhappy childhood
Examples of 'childhood' in a sentence
childhood
They also found that this group could have been identified in early childhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The romantic in us points to the enduring allure of childhood dreams.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All the same, he says his childhood was a happy one.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was not the fuel of his childhood dreams in Scotland.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
MUCH of my early childhood remains vivid in my memory.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It is the first of an intended three volumes and covers his childhood, early career as an artist and war service.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The footie boss ended the 18-year relationship with his childhood sweetheart, saying he no longer loved her.
The Sun (2016)
TWO childhood friends who last met more than 50 years ago have been reunited after moving into the same care home.
The Sun (2016)
These core beliefs are shaped by childhood and other life experiences.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Colin singles out one incident from his early childhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The coalition has been complacent about childhood obesity.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We clearly had different weird childhood dreams.
Christianity Today (2000)
Successive governments have had their heads in the sand over childhood obesity.
The Sun (2013)
It was a privileged but not always happy childhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Childhood obesity is a problem for us all.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So to be here now is a childhood dream.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Childhood obesity has become a big issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Since her childhood she had dreamed of leading an army into battle.
Veronica Buckley CHRISTINA QUEEN OF SWEDEN: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric (2004)
So going through life feeling your childhood is holding you back is misunderstanding how much power you have to improve yourself.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Two childhood sweethearts have split up after 115 years.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Indeed, temptation did get the better of one his close childhood friends.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The family home was in Hendon where she spent most of her childhood and adult life.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But seeing her childhood sweetheart again stirs up old feelings, leaving the bride-to-be in a quandary.
The Sun (2010)
Their rapport influenced the whole atmosphere around them, and for that reason my early childhood was calm, untroubled and very happy.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I've been married for six years to my childhood sweetheart and it feels like he's part of me.
The Sun (2015)
My own early childhood I had the kind of childhood destined to drain the confidence out of any man, woman or beast.
Lindenfield, Gael 50 Ways to Become a Self-Confident Woman (1989)
Quotations
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Nobody that matters, that isEdna St. Vincent MillayChildhood is the Kingdom where Nobody Dies
One of the great pleasures of childhood is found in the mysteries which it hides from the skepticism of the elders, and works up into small mythologies of its ownOliver Wendell Holmes Sr.The Poet at the Breakfast-Table
In other languages
childhood
British English: childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ NOUN
A person's childhood is the time when they are a child.
She had a happy childhood.
American English: childhood
Arabic: طُفُولَة
Brazilian Portuguese: infância
Chinese: 童年
Croatian: djetinjstvo
Czech: dětství
Danish: barndom
Dutch: jeugd periode waarin men nog niet volwassen is
European Spanish: infancia
Finnish: lapsuus
French: enfance
German: Kindheit
Greek: παιδική ηλικία
Italian: infanzia
Japanese: 子供時代
Korean: 어린 시절
Norwegian: barndom
Polish: dzieciństwo
European Portuguese: infância
Romanian: copilărie
Russian: детство
Latin American Spanish: infancia
Swedish: barndom
Thai: วัยเด็ก
Turkish: çocukluk
Ukrainian: дитинство
Vietnamese: thời thơ ấu
All related terms of 'childhood'
abusive childhood
A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
childhood fantasy
A fantasy is a pleasant situation or event that you think about and that you want to happen, especially one that is unlikely to happen.
childhood memories
A memory is something that you remember from the past .
idyllic childhood
A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
normal childhood
A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
second childhood
If you say that an old person is in their second childhood , you mean that their mind is becoming weaker and that their behaviour is similar to that of a young child .
troubled childhood
A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
unhappy childhood
A person's childhood is the period of their life when they are a child.
childhood sweetheart
a boyfriend or girlfriend from an early stage of life
Chinese translation of 'childhood'
childhood
(ˈtʃaɪldhud)
n(u)
童年 (tóngnián)
cpd
[disease, memory, friend]童年期 (tóngnián qī)
(noun)
Definition
the time or condition of being a child
She had a very happy childhood.
Synonyms
youth
the comic books of my youth
minority
infancy
schooldays
immaturity
boyhood or girlhood
Quotations
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Nobody that matters, that is [Edna St. Vincent Millay – Childhood is the Kingdom where Nobody Dies]One of the great pleasures of childhood is found in the mysteries which it hides from the skepticism of the elders, and works up into small mythologies of its own [Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. – The Poet at the Breakfast-Table]