From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishchildhoodchild‧hood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable, uncountable] CHILDthe period of time when you are a child I had a very happy childhood.in/during/since (somebody’s) childhood Most infections occur in childhood. She had been writing poems since her childhood.childhood home/friend/experience etc (=a home etc that you had when you were a child)childhood memories (=the memories you have of your childhood) → second childhoodRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say when I was a child when talking about their childhood: During my childhood we lived by the ocean. → When I was a child we lived by the ocean. | She’s known him since childhood. → She’s known him since she was a child.COLLOCATIONSadjectiveshappy/unhappyHer parents divorced and her childhood was unhappy.normalI think my childhood was fairly normal.lonelyHe had no brothers or sisters and a lonely childhood.a deprived childhood (=without enough money, food, attention etc)Many children living in these areas have very deprived childhoods.early/late childhoodExperiences in early childhood are very important.verbshave a happy/unhappy etc childhoodI wish I'd had a happy childhood like yours.spend your childhoodThis is the house where the artist spent most of his childhood.remember something from (your) childhoodHe remembered the place from his childhood.childhood + NOUNchildhood memoriesThe smell in the air brought back happy childhood memories.a childhood friendHe married his childhood friend.somebody's childhood homeHer childhood home was in North Dakota.a childhood experienceOur childhood experiences make us who we are.a childhood illness/diseasemeasles and other common childhood illnesses
Examples from the Corpus
childhood• His early childhood was spent with his father in Chicago.• Much of my early childhood was spent with my aunt in California.• It all comes from a good childhood.• Nina had happy memories of her childhood on the farm.• The origins of Gironella's peculiar assemblages lie in his childhood.• Steven had happy memories of his childhood on the farm.• It was his childhood dream to play professional baseball.• There were no differences in the rates of complications after delivery or in childhood behavior problems.• Information on childhood history, family, peer and work experiences was obtained, as well as detailed information on current circumstances.• They've been buddies since childhood.• He says Ryan has been a tinkerer since childhood, endlessly curious about the way things work.• Since childhood Margot had longed to be a dancer.• The adults had retreated from this childhood world, but not very far.• Vince had a very unhappy childhood.• Of course, I had all the usual childhood illnesses, like measles and mumps.in/during/since (somebody’s) childhood• I started therapy because of a lot of unresolved conflicts in my childhood.• There is a great deal of evidence which indicates that experiences in early childhood are very important, and that the effects are long-lasting.• This is one reason why hearing impairment in childhood is totally different from hearing loss in adult life.• His primary avocation was palaeontology, an interest he had lovingly nurtured since childhood.• Conventionally, maps and graphic aids are introduced into mobility work only in middle childhood, if at all.• He says Ryan has been a tinkerer since childhood, endlessly curious about the way things work.• Maybe Liam reminds him of something unhappy in his own childhood. 