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Childhood vs Juvenile - What's the difference?

childhood | juvenile |

As a noun childhood

is (uncountable) the state of being a child.

As an adjective juvenile is

youthful; young.

childhood

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (uncountable) The state of being a child.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author= Terrie Moffitt] [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/richie-poulton et] [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/avshalom-caspi al.
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Lifelong Impact of Early Self-Control , passage=To our own surprise, our 40-year study of 1,000 children revealed that childhood self-control strongly predicts adult success, in people of high or low intelligence, in rich or poor, and does so throughout the entire population, with a step change in health, wealth, and social success at every level of self-control.}}
  • The time during which one is a child, from between infancy and puberty.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=Foreword citation , passage=He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood .}}
  • (by extension) The early stages of development of something.
  • * Shakespeare
  • the childhood of our joy

    Derived terms

    * second childhood

    See also

    * (wikipedia)

    juvenile

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • young; not fully developed
  • characteristic of youth or immaturity; childish
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • a prepubescent child
  • a person not legally of age, or who is younger than may be charged with an offence
  • an animal that is not sexually mature
  • an actor playing a child's role
  • Derived terms

    * (not of legal age) juvenile court, juvenile delinquent, juvenile detention center, juvenile hall