noun · neutral
girlhood
UK/ˈɡɜːlˌhʊd/US/ˈɡɜːrlˌhʊd/GIRL·hood
the period of a female's life when she is a girl; the experiences of being a girl
Examples
“Her memoir focuses on her girlhood in a rural town and how it shaped her identity.”
“Stories from girlhood often reveal social expectations placed on young females.”
“Many feminist essays examine the transition from girlhood to womanhood.”
Band 8 sentence
“Reflecting on my girlhood, I can see how expectations about gender quietly shaped my choices.”
Collocations
- memories of girlhood
- the girlhood of someone
- reminisce about one’s girlhood
Word family
Common mistakes
She described a girlhood full of hardships.→She described her girlhood full of hardships.
There were many girlhoods in the novel.→The novel depicts many girls' childhoods.
She reached girlhood at age 25.→She reached womanhood at age 25.
Say it for a higher band
5when I was a girl→6childhood→7+girlhood
Synonyms
childhood
youth
Easily confused
childhood
“The museum exhibit explores childhood and how it has changed over centuries.”
Related words
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In -hood
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