preteen

1 of 2

noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

-ˌtēn

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2

adjective

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

Noun

If your preteen is easing into a skin care routine, these cute animal-print sheet masks are a good starting point. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2024

Growing up in New York, Marino started honing his skills as a preteen by practicing on his friends with latex, foam and various chemicals, destroying his bedroom rug in the process, to the chagrin of his parents. —Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024

Adjective

Reasons for that include cost, supply constraints and a lack of infrastructure for vaccinating preteen and teenage girls, says a spokesperson for Gavi, a nonprofit group that helps fund the cost of vaccines in poorer countries. —Fran Kritz, NPR, 12 Sep. 2024

Suicide remained the fifth-leading cause of death for preteen boys. —Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

preteen

1 of 2 noun

pre·​teen ˈprē-ˈtēn 

: a boy or girl not yet 13 years old

preteen

2 of 2 adjective

1

: 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