Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
preadolescence

preadolescence

6.8
A period just before puberty when a child begins to grow and change
  • noun
  • /ˌpriːædɒlɛsəns/
translation icon : preadolescencia
  • Friendship in preadolescence plays an important function in normal (Sullivan, 1953) and abnormal (Dishion et al., 1996) social development.

Examples

  • Preadolescence marks an important period in development, as a child must deal with many social, physical, and psychological changes, including the preparation for adolescence.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Moreover, preadolescence is a time of decreased self-competence for many youths (Jacobs, Lanza, Osgood, Eccles, & Wigfield, 2002).

    Academic text (2014)

  • The Black Baptists became my community of faith after my mother left the family during my preadolescence.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The school grades most representative of latency or preadolescence are grades 4, 5, and 6, or middle school.

    Academic text (1992)

  • For children in preadolescence, many political concepts are either overly complicated or not in their realm of interest.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Infancy and childhood and preadolescence is a gradual transformation from the state of nature into society.

  • During preadolescence, many children begin to develop a stronger sense of identity as they transition from late childhood to early adolescence.

  • Preadolescence is often marked by significant social changes as children start to form deeper friendships and social connections.

  • Parents play a crucial role in guiding their children through preadolescence, helping them navigate the emotional changes that come with this period.

Synonyms

prepubescence
vspreadolescence
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A stage before puberty when a child begins to have body and mood changes

is a broader age period before the teen years rather than focusing on early changes
prepuberty
vspreadolescence
  • Specialized
1 6.6

The time before puberty when a child's body begins to change

covers the wider age span before the teen years, not only bodily changes

Antonyms

puberty
74 2.8

The time when a young person's body changes and becomes able to have children

How Old

adolescence
60 3.9
puberty
74 2.8
preadolescence
6.8
early childhood
  • Specialized
26 2.0

Surface Forms

preadolescence singular
preadolescences plural

Morphology

preadolescence = adolescence (transparent) = pre + adolesc + ence

For learners who know 'adolescence', adding 'pre-' clearly gives the meaning 'before adolescence'.

Etymology

Preadolescence combines pre- meaning 'before' and adolescence, which comes from an old Latin root meaning 'to grow up'. So preadolescence is the period 'before' growing up, the late childhood just before puberty.