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Is the word kid slang?
Some people worry that kid, when used of a child rather than a juvenile goat, is either slang or too colloquial to merit acceptance in standard English.
The fact is that we have been using kid to refer to a child that is human, rather than goatish, for more than three hundred years now. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that although this word was considered “low slang” when it first began being used, it had entered “familiar speech” by the 19th century.
In contemporary English, kid is neither slang nor improper. It is, however, most definitely informal, so those writing professionally or in a formal register might prefer to use child.
Synonyms
Examples of kid in a Sentence
Angel Saunders, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
In the book, Dave depicted Toph (short for Christopher) as a guileless kid, the personification of hope.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024
Rather than trying to control each step of the process, let your kid experiment with different ingredients and flavors.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 5 Sep. 2024
Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 3 Oct. 2024
All kidding aside, people who are intentionally running ingredient households tend to prioritize fresh, whole foods and shop for meals, not snacks.
—Suzanne Hayes, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kid 
Dictionary Entries Near kid
Cite this Entry
“Kid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kid. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kid
2 of 2 verb
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