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puerility

 - 3 dictionary results

pu⋅er⋅il⋅i⋅ty

  [pyoo-uh-ril-i-tee, pyoo-ril-]
Use puerility in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the state or quality of being a child.
2. the quality of being puerile; childish foolishness or triviality.
3. a puerile act, idea, remark, etc.: an inexcusable puerility.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME < L puerīlitās. See puerile, -ity
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pu·er·ile   (pyōō'ər-əl, pyŏŏr'əl, -īl')   
adj.  

  1. Belonging to childhood; juvenile.

  2. Immature; childish. See Synonyms at young.


[Latin puerīlis, from puer, child, boy; see pau-1 in Indo-European roots.]
pu'er·ile·ly adv., pu'er·il'i·ty (-ĭl'ĭ-tē), pu'er·ile·ness (-əl-nĭs, -īl-) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

puerility 
1450, from M.Fr. puérilité, from L. puerilitatem (nom. puerilitas) "childishness," from puerilis "childish, boyish," from puer "child, boy," from PIE *pu- "small, little, young" (cf. Skt. putrah "son, boy," Avestan puthra- "son, child;" cf. few).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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