prepubertal

adjective

pre·​pu·​ber·​tal (ˌ)prē-ˈpyü-bər-tᵊl How to pronounce prepubertal (audio)
: prepubescent

Examples of prepubertal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Few differences were found in the bacterial flora between prepubertal and mature intact and castrated donkeys. — Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2015 In these prepubertal developmental stages—when kids are sprouting and molting and falling over and spilling their teeth on the floor—the adults, while attuned to these metamorphoses, are not especially fazed by them. — Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

pre- + pubertal

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prepubertal was in 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Prepubertal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prepubertal. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

prepubertal

adjective
pre·​pu·​ber·​tal -bərt-ᵊl How to pronounce prepubertal (audio)
: prepubescent
prepubertal children
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