child

child — noun

1. a young person who has not yet reached the age when society considers them an ad

1.nounA1
Definition

a young person who has not yet reached the age when society considers them an adult — typically from birth up to around twelve to eighteen years old

Example

The children in the park laughed while they chased each other around a big tree.

plural 'children' for general reference to young people

Nadia helped her younger child put on a warm coat before going outside.

Common collocations
  • only child
  • youngest child
  • raise a child
  • care for a child
  • child development
Synonyms
  • kid

    informal equivalent; very common in everyday speech but not used in formal writing

  • youngster

    slightly old-fashioned; often carries a warm or affectionate tone

  • minor

    formal legal term referring to someone below the age of legal responsibility (usually 18)

Antonyms
  • adult

    a person who has reached the age of full legal rights and responsibilities

  • grown-up

    informal equivalent of adult

Grammar Patterns

countable noun

determiner + child

plural: children

Usage Note

The plural is 'children', not 'childs'. This is an irregular plural that must be memorised as a separate form.

Common Mistakes

I saw two child in the park.
I saw two children in the park.
'child' is singular; the plural form is 'children' (irregular).

2. a person's son or daughter, no matter how old they are — based on the family rel

2.nounA1
Definition

a person's son or daughter, no matter how old they are — based on the family relationship rather than age

Example

Priya called her mother to say the children would visit during the holiday.

possessive 'her' + 'children' for family relationship

Both of Diego's children are in their twenties and live in different cities.

Common collocations
  • their child
  • only child
  • eldest child
  • grown-up child
  • adult child
Synonyms
  • offspring

    more formal and neutral; can refer to both humans and animals

  • kid

    informal; often used by parents when talking about their own children regardless of age

Antonyms
  • parent

    a person who has a child

Grammar Patterns

possessive + child

have + number + children

Usage Note

Unlike Sense 1 (YOUNG PERSON), this sense can refer to someone of any age. A 50-year-old person is still their parents' child.

Common Mistakes

She has one children.
She has one child.
use 'child' for one, 'children' for two or more.

3. an adult whose behaviour seems childish, showing a lack of maturity, responsibil

3.nounB2
Definition

an adult whose behaviour seems childish, showing a lack of maturity, responsibility, or self-control — used as a criticism

Example

Stop acting like a child and take responsibility for your own mistakes.

imperative: 'stop acting like a child' — direct criticism

The CEO called his manager a child for refusing to listen to the team.

Common collocations
  • act like a child
  • such a child
  • spoiled child
  • call someone a child
Synonyms
  • brat

    more intense and insulting; suggests badly behaved or spoiled

  • baby

    informal; suggests someone cries or complains too easily

Antonyms
  • adult

    a mature, responsible person

  • grown-up

    informal; someone who behaves maturely

Grammar Patterns

call + person + a child

act like a child

such a child

Usage Note

Always negative or critical. Calling an adult 'a child' is never a compliment in English. Distinguish from Sense 1 (YOUNG PERSON) where the word is neutral.

Common Mistakes

He is such a child!' used as a compliment.
This expression is only used to criticise someone's immaturity.
English does not use 'child' for an adult as praise.

4. a person whose identity, ideas, or character have been deeply shaped by a partic

4.nounB2
Definition

a person whose identity, ideas, or character have been deeply shaped by a particular time, place, person, or situation — for example, someone called a 'child of the internet age'

Example

As a child of the internet age, Yusuf learned to code before he turned ten.

'child of [era]' — metaphor for generational influence

Theo is a true child of the mountains; he feels lost anywhere far from them.

Common collocations
  • a child of the 1990s
  • a child of the internet
  • a child of the revolution
  • a child of two cultures
  • a true child of
Synonyms
  • product

    more neutral and less poetic; 'a product of the 1990s' is more formal than 'a child of the 1990s'

  • offspring

    formal or literary; can replace 'child' in the same pattern but sounds more elevated

Grammar Patterns

a child of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Nearly always appears in the pattern 'a child of [something]'. The noun phrase after 'of' names the influence — a time period, a place, or a set of circumstances.

5. a person who belongs to a particular family line, group, or tradition, or someth

5.nounC1
Definition

a person who belongs to a particular family line, group, or tradition, or something that results or develops from a specific source — used for both literal descendants and figurative results

Example

The museum exhibition showed works by children of the original Bauhaus school.

'children of [school/tradition]' — members continuing a legacy

Modern jazz is a child of blues and ragtime that came before it.

Common collocations
  • child of the family
  • child of a tradition
  • children of the school
  • children of the house
Synonyms
  • descendant

    more formal and precise for literal family lines; also used figuratively for later developments

  • heir

    suggests inheriting something specific (a title, style, tradition) rather than general descent

  • product

    neutral; emphasises the result rather than the lineage connection

Antonyms
  • ancestor

    a person from whom one is descended

  • predecessor

    something that came before and was replaced or developed into something else

Grammar Patterns

the child/children of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Can be used literally (family descendants) or figuratively (results, products). The figurative use overlaps with Sense 4 (INFLUENCED BY), but this sense emphasises lineage, succession, or direct descent rather than general influence.

Common Mistakes

This poem is a child of Shakespeare.' (when meaning simply influenced by).
This poem is a child of the Romantic tradition that followed Shakespeare.
the pattern needs a group, tradition, or source, not just an individual influence.
Idioms

be child’s play

idiom

Something that is extremely easy to do.

For a professional chef, making pasta is child's play.

Is solving this puzzle really child's play for you?

be with child

idiom

A woman who is going to have a baby.

Maya announced that she is with child at the family dinner.

The painting shows a woman who is with child.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Child, kid, youngster, and minor all refer to young people, but they differ in register and scope. 'Child' is the most neutral and widely used term in both formal and everyday language — it fits any situation. 'Kid' is informal and very common in casual conversation; you would not see 'kid' in legal documents or academic writing. 'Youngster' is slightly old-fashioned and often carries a warm or affectionate tone, making it more common in storytelling than in daily speech. 'Minor' is a formal legal term that refers to someone below the age of majority (usually 18). For example: 'The children played in the yard' sounds neutral and works anywhere; 'The kids played in the yard' sounds friendly and casual; 'The youngster showed great courage' sounds slightly warm and tale-like; and 'Minors are not permitted to enter the building alone' is the only correct choice for official rules or signs.

child ↗kid ↗youngster ↗minor ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • from childhood
  • as a child

Prepositions

  • child of
  • child from

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'child' comes from Old English 'cild', which originally meant 'fetus' or 'infant'. In Old English, the plural was sometimes the same as the singular or took the form 'cildru'. Over time, 'cildru' gained an additional '-en' ending to become 'children' — a double plural that English still uses today. The word has ancient Germanic roots, appearing in related forms such as Old High German 'kind' and Gothic 'kilþei' (womb). The meaning gradually expanded from 'newborn baby' to 'young person' and later to include adult offspring and metaphorical uses.