PUERILITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does puerility mean? 

• PUERILITY (noun)
  The noun PUERILITY has 2 senses:

1. the state of a child between infancy and adolescence

2. a property characteristic of a child

  Familiarity information: PUERILITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUERILITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of a child between infancy and adolescence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

childhood; puerility

Hypernyms ("puerility" is a kind of...):

immatureness; immaturity (not having reached maturity)

Derivation:

puerile (displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A property characteristic of a child

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

childishness; puerility

Hypernyms ("puerility" is a kind of...):

youngness (the opposite of oldness)

Derivation:

puerile (of or characteristic of a child)

 Context examples 

She was stung by his words into realization of the puerility of her act, and yet she felt that he had magnified it unduly and was consequently resentful.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)