child

noun

ˈchī(-ə)ld How to pronounce child (audio)
Definition of childnext
1
as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood an imaginative animated film that appeals to adults as well as to children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in baby
a recently born person wrapped the child in a blanket before taking him outside in the cold

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in outcome
a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause widespread stress is the child of the frenetic pace of the modern world

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of child Fearful parents pulled their children out of school if a river crossing was part of their commute. — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026 Meta also lost a separate social-media case brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, after a court found that the company violated the state's child-safety laws and ordered it to pay over $900 million in penalties. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 For example, in Intergenerational Mobility of Immigrants in the US over Two Centuries, the researchers found that children of immigrants often experience upward mobility, especially when starting near the bottom of the income distribution. — True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Lucky said her younger sister, who has children and works from home, went days without electricity. — Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for child
Recent Examples of Synonyms for child
  1. kid
  2. baby
  3. outcome
  4. infant
  5. result
  6. toddler
  7. resultant
  8. boy
Noun
  • Davis, his wife and kids painted the picture of a family that had deep, meaningful connections to the heartbeat of this burgeoning southern metropolis in NASCAR country that, like so many cities, places its sports stars on a pedestal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • My kids loved Sakura, which takes a similarly hopscotching approach to Asia, mixing together Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian on its menu.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • From Hall of Fame quarterbacks to groundbreaking women, these are the best baby names for football fans.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Her conversation with John also divulges the depths of his entwinement with current ring-bearer Hal Jordan, via a flashback to when John was a baby, in the all-important year of 1986.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of baby
Noun
  • Channel 4 insiders are certainly not unhappy with the outcome.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Such an outcome would amount to a transformation in the transatlantic alliance.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of outcome
Noun
  • Officials were in contact with the families, according to Kamal, who said the immediate priority was to support the parents and return the infants' bodies to them.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • At least 14 babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences died in a nursery fire Wednesday, while one infant was rescued, according to hospital officials.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • The company's agentic security platform delivered great results as enterprises looked to protect against rogue AI agents.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • On the pitch, Chelsea is hoping to convert years of spending into results.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of result
Noun
  • In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The boy and his grandmother’s identities have not been shared publicly at this time, but it was disclosed that the toddler would have turned 2 next week.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of toddler
Noun
  • Ilie and Ghodla modeled the environment in which the resultant black hole seeds would exist and merge, calculating merger rates and the influence on the gravitational wave background.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • No other spacecraft has ever descended into the moon’s shadowy south polar craters, although NASA did crash a rocket into one in 2009 and watched a resultant plume of water vapor burst out.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of resultant
Noun
  • Ryker Huther is tied for first with 66 for Circle Christian boys golf on the first day of the Titan Invitational.
    — Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This 1999 movie is about a manchild named Sonny who takes in a little boy (played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse, perfect for Riverdale fans) to impress his ex-girlfriend.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of boy

Phrases Containing child

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chignons
child
child's play
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Cite this Entry

“Child.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/child. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on child

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about child

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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