puerility

noun

pu·​er·​il·​i·​ty ˌpyu̇əˈrilətē How to pronounce puerility (audio)
-lətē, 
-i
plural -es
Synonyms of puerilitynext
1
a
: the quality or state of being a child
specifically : the status under civil law of a child between infancy and puberty defined as from 7 to 14 years of age in boys and from 7 to 12 years of age in girls
b
: immaturity, childishness
the ballet comic in its puerility and ugliness—Arnold Bennett
2
: an act, instance, or product of an immature mind
where he has committed the puerility of employing more words than are necessary, he now has the one correct word—College English
pettiness, juvenilities, and … puerilities become not a great assembly like this—John Adams

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French puerilité, from Latin puerilitat-, puerilitas, from puerilis + -itat-, -itas -ity

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Browse Nearby Words

puerilism
puerility
puerpera
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Cite this Entry

“Puerility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puerility. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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