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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Romero immigrated to the United States from Mexico and had lived on the island with her children since the early 2000s, according to her middle son, Michael Romero. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 The newfangled internet granted children almost unbridled freedom — and the ability to wander far afield, digitally at least, of where their parents could protect them from harm. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 Mischel and colleagues followed those children and continued to study them over time. — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026 Parents whose children earn income can also open a custodial regular or Roth individual retirement account for them. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Oct. 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
  • In the winter months of 1973, kids were taking flashlights to the pitch-black bus stops in the morning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Hasan was convicted of carrying out the attack, which killed 14 people at the Texas military base, including an unborn baby, before a military jury and was sentenced to death in 2013.
    — Robert Blankenship, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There are bespoke treatments by Bamford and renowned Irish skin care brand Voya (the Seaweed Leaf Wrap will leave your skin feeling baby-soft).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of baby
Noun
  • These platforms are colonizing existing speculative spaces—like election results and sporting outcomes—while profiting from areas of asymmetrical knowledge that were previously not possible to monetize.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Additionally, Schumer told Punchbowl News that the outcome of the midterm elections has no bearing on his decision to seek party leadership.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of outcome
Noun
  • The black-and-white illustration showed a mother kneeling on the frothing waves’ surface, staring into the face of her naked infant as the Virgin Mary towered above them both, attended by angels circling her head.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Hartung, who leads the clinic’s home care program, knows a family who skipped going to church for more than month to avoid possible measles exposures to their vulnerable infant.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • The result is sophisticated yet inviting—think elevated beach house with a dash of desert aesthetic.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Another prospective study, from Emory University, found evidence of racial bias, but that the inaccurate results were not fully accounted for by variations in skin tone.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of result
Noun
  • The playground is less playground, more sprawling treehouse, complete with climbing structures, waterslides, and two toddler-friendly pools.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Months of text messages showed the farm’s owner knew from the start that a toddler was drinking her milk.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of toddler
Noun
  • Surprisingly, despite his role in the Fast & Furious franchise and the resultant persona fans project on him, Gibson is, admittedly, not interested in pursuing motorsport and had never been drifting.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of resultant
Noun
  • My boys dropped tennis after high school and are now in a college band together.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Gilroy provided a detailed backstory for the fictional film, describing a young widow, a wealthy East Coast summer setting and a boy preparing to go to war.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of boy

Phrases Containing child

Browse Nearby Words

chignons
child
child's play
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Child.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/child. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on child

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about child

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All