childhood

[ chahyld-hood ]

noun

1. the state or period of being a child.

   Synonyms: girlhood, boyhood, youth

2. the early stage in the existence of something:

   the childhood of the human race.

childhood

/ ˈtʃaɪldhʊd /

noun

1. the condition of being a child; the period of life before puberty

Other Words From

• pre·childhood noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of childhood¹

before 950; Middle English childhode, Old English cildhād. See child, -hood

Example Sentences

As with many rare phobias, causal factors for people with bananaphobia can be hard to determine, but experts say it can often stem from childhood.

From BBC

Mr McGuinness is currently on day four of his challenge, cycling on his dream childhood bike - the Raleigh Chopper - from Ecclefechan to Strathaven.

From BBC

“When it did crop up occasionally through my childhood, it could have been happening in a different country for all we knew. It just felt so far removed,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

He had worked with Petticrew and Boyle, childhood friends who grew up near each other in Catholic West Belfast, a decade earlier on an anti-drug film, and was instrumental in casting them.

From Los Angeles Times

Roberts went on to say that his desire to transform America was rooted in childhood trauma.

From Salon