1. a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority: "she'd been playing tennis since she was a child"
▪ a son or daughter of any age: "when children leave home, parents can feel somewhat redundant"
▪ an immature or irresponsible person: "she's such a child!"
▪ a person who has little or no experience in a particular area: "he's a child in financial matters"
▪ the descendants of a family or people: "the children of Abraham"
▪ a person regarded as the product of (a specified influence or environment):"a child of the Sixties"
Word OriginOld Englishcild, of Germanic origin. The Middle English plural childer or childre became childeren or children by association with plurals ending in -en, such as brethren.
