childhood
gb/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd/ us/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd/
A2
English
~ 2800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
early stage of a person's life
The time when a person is young, from birth until they become a teenager.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s childhood
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'childhood' (a period of life) with 'childish' (describing immature behavior).
Synonyms
youth (Often refers to the general period of being young, but can also include teenage years.)
|
infancy (Refers only to the very early part of childhood, usually before walking or talking.)
Antonyms
adulthood (The stage of life after childhood, when a person is fully grown.)
Collocations
happy childhood
|childhood friend
|childhood memory
|childhood home
|childhood dream
Themes
family
|life stages
|personal history
|core_vocabulary
|time
Examples
- She spent most of her childhood in a small village.
- His childhood was filled with adventure and laughter.
- Many of my happiest memories come from my childhood.
- Childhood is often seen as a carefree time.
- He returned to his childhood home after many years.
Learner examples
- I had a happy childhood.
- My childhood was in the city.
- She remembers her childhood well.
- We talk about our childhood often.
Grammar
Dictionary form
childhood
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd/
US/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd/
Syllables & stress
child - hood (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (child)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: childhood
- Plural: childhood, childhoods
Word family
Expressions
childhood dream
1/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd dɹˈim/
fixed phrase
ambition from early life
A goal or wish you had when you were a child.
Examples
- Becoming a pilot was his childhood dream.
- She finally achieved her childhood dream of being an artist.
childhood friend
1/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd fɹˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
a friend from early years
A person you have been friends with since you were both children.
Examples
- I met my childhood friend again after twenty years.
- She and I have been childhood friends since we were five.
childhood home
1/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd hˈoʊm/
fixed phrase
home lived in as a child
The house where you lived when you were a child.
Examples
- He visited his childhood home for the first time in thirty years.
- My childhood home was small but full of love.
childhood memory
1/t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd mˈɛmɚi/
fixed phrase
memory from early life
Something you remember from when you were a child.
Examples
- One of my favorite childhood memories is playing in the park.
- That song brings back many childhood memories.