childhood
- 01 A2 Elementary
the years of your life when you are a child, before you become an adult.
the chronological period of a person's life from birth or infancy to the beginning of puberty.
Simple“She spent most of her childhood living in a small house by the sea.”
In context“Many psychologists argue that the experiences we have during early childhood significantly shape our personality and social behaviour as adults.”
UsageOften used with possessive adjectives like 'my childhood' or 'her childhood'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
the very beginning or early stages of something new.
the initial or formative stage of development of an abstract concept, organisation, or movement.
Simple“The internet was still in its childhood when he started his first company.”
In context“The space programme was in its childhood during the 1950s, with scientists still debating the basic physics of orbital mechanics.”
UsageUsually used metaphorically to describe non-human entities.
Usage childhood memories · childhood friend · childhood vaccination
From Middle English childhode, childhod, from Old English ċildhād (“childhood”). By surface analysis, child + -hood. Compare dialectal Dutch kindheid (“childishness”), German Low German Kinnerheid (“childhood”), and German Kindheit (“childhood”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.