Meanings
comparative more childlike · superlative most childlike
- Innocent and trustful; credulous; artless.
According to the prevailing Danish rationale, Greenlanders were naïve and childlike, in need of protection and incapable of governing themselves.
2019 August 22, Matthew H. Birkhold, “A Brief History of the Indignities Heaped Upon Greenland”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2020Synonyms: credulous, unworldly, artless, callow, verdant, clueless, credulous, dewy-eyed
- Of, like, or suitable for a child.
Even Mario is given childlike mannerisms – running open-armed like a fearless toddler, whooping with delight – to convey playful innocence.
2019 May 8, Jon Bailes, “Save yourself! The video games casting us as helpless children”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 09 Apr 2023
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveInnocent and trustful; credulous; artless.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveexhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishchild
- Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
- Proto-Germanic*līką
- Englishchildlike
Translations
Finnish lapsenomainen, lapsenomainen
- lapsenomaineninnocent and trustful; credulous; artless
- lapsenomainenof, like, or suitable for a child
German kindlich, kindlich
- kindlichinnocent and trustful; credulous; artless
- kindlichof, like, or suitable for a child
Hungarian gyermeki
- gyermekiinnocent and trustful; credulous; artless
Spanish infantil
- infantilof, like, or suitable for a child
Cite this entry
childlike. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childlike
“childlike.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childlike. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “childlike,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childlike.
Source: childlike on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.