This word confusion, childish versus childlike, may seem similar, however it all depends on what behavior you’re describing.
Originally childish simply meant of a child or typical of a child, able to go either way in terms of positivity or negativity. By the 1400s, the negative connotations began to refer to an older person who had the unpleasant qualities of a child, i.e., silliness, selfishness, or a lack of maturity, and should know better. A young person, a child, is still viewed with positive connotations.
Childish arose in the mid-1500s and has only positive connotations referring to innocence, trustfulness, or openness in an adult.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Childish | Childlike |
|---|---|
Toddlers Can Be Childish is under the CC0 license, via PxHere. |
Childlike Madman in an Adult-sized Paper Boat by Wonderlane is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective |
Of, like, or appropriate to a child
|
[Of an adult] Having good qualities associated with a child |
| Examples: | |
| Her childish enthusiasm was infectious.
It was a childish outburst. It was childish of her to rip up the picture. One of his most appealing qualities is his childish enthusiasm. |
She speaks with a childlike directness.
His childlike bashfulness is charming. They had a childlike trust. She had never lost her childlike sense of wonder. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: overchildish Adverb: childishly, overchildishly, Noun: childishness |
Adjective: unchildlike Noun: childlikeness |
| History of the Word: | |
| Before 1000, Middle English childisch, Old English cildisc. | It was first recorded in 1580–90, child + -like |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Childish versus Childlike
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Apple Dictionary.com
“‘Childlike’ vs. ‘Childish’.” Word History. Merriam Webster. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-difference-between-childish-and-childlike>.
Dictionary.com: childish
The Free Dictionary: childish, childlike
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Family Jump by Evil Erin is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
