- a boy or girl between birth and puberty
- (as modifier): child labour
- a baby or infant
- an unborn baby
- with child ⇒
another term for pregnant - a human offspring; son or daughterRelated adjective(s): filial
- a childish or immature person
- a member of a family or tribe; descendant: a child of Israel
- a person or thing regarded as the product of an influence or environment: a child of nature
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
child /tʃaɪld/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. chil•dren /ˈtʃɪldrən/.USA pronunciation
child•less, adj.
child•less•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a young boy or girl:A young child doesn't usually want to share his or her toys.
- a son or daughter:He has two children, a boy and a girl.
- Developmental Biologya baby or infant:the rights of the unborn child are to be balanced by the right to privacy of the mother.
- a person who behaves in a childish manner.
- any person or thing regarded as the product of particular circumstances or influences: Abstract art is a child of the 20th century.
- Idioms with child, (of a human female) pregnant.
child•less, adj.
child•less•ness, n. [uncountable]
child
(chīld),USA pronunciation n., pl. chil•dren.
child′less, adj.
child′less•ness, n.
Child (chīld),USA pronunciation n.
child, +n.
- a person between birth and full growth;
a boy or girl:books for children. - a son or daughter:All my children are married.
- Developmental Biologya baby or infant.
- Developmental Biologya human fetus.
- a childish person:He's such a child about money.
- a descendant:a child of an ancient breed.
- any person or thing regarded as the product or result of particular agencies, influences, etc.:Abstract art is a child of the 20th century.
- a person regarded as conditioned or marked by a given circumstance, situation, etc.:a child of poverty; a child of famine.
- British Termsa female infant.
- [Archaic.]childe.
- Idioms with child, pregnant:She's with child.
- bef. 950; Middle English; Old English cild; akin to Gothic kilthai womb
child′less•ness, n.
Child (chīld),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical Lydia Maria (Francis), 1802–80, U.S. author, abolitionist, and social reformer.
child, +n.
- Developmental Biologya human fetus.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
child /tʃaɪld/ n ( pl children)
'child' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abandoned
- abuse
- adopt
- affiliation order
- Agnes
- Amber alert
- anal
- analogy
- ankle biter
- baby
- baby bond
- Baby Buggy
- baby-sitter
- bairn
- bambino
- basilisk
- bastard
- battered
- Belloc
- big
- bimbo
- birth
- birth control
- birth mother
- block
- blood
- bo
- board
- boo
- bow-wow
- boy
- brat
- brick
- bright
- bring up
- bugger
- building block
- bunny
- but
- care plan
- caul
- changeling
- chav
- cherub
- chick
- child abuse
- child-bearing
- childbed
- child benefit
- abandon