: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
1
: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group
preteen fashions
2
: being younger than 13
Examples of preteen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Here are some of the most popular: YouTube offers a separate YouTube Kids app designed for younger children, and supervised YouTube accounts for preteens.
—Jacqueline Nesi, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025
Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
The model, who met Hill because her preteen son was attending his eponymous football camp in Boca Raton, reportedly went on to spend more days at the home before returning home to receive medical care.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preteen
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Noun
Academic surveys suggest that as many as 1 in 5 preteens in the US now take melatonin at least occasionally, and that some younger children consume it multiple times per week.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Here are some of the most popular: YouTube offers a separate YouTube Kids app designed for younger children, and supervised YouTube accounts for preteens.
—Jacqueline Nesi, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
While there are no hard and fast rules, couples may want to consider a junior bridesmaid position for preteen children.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
The model, who met Hill because her preteen son was attending his eponymous football camp in Boca Raton, reportedly went on to spend more days at the home before returning home to receive medical care.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preteen
Cite this Entry
“Preteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preteen. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preteen
1 of 2 noun
pre·teen
ˈprē-ˈtēn 
: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old
preteen
2 of 2 adjective1
: relating to or produced for children especially in the 9 to 12 year-old age group
preteen fashions
2
: being younger than 13 years old
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