Puerile
/ˈpjuːəraɪl/noun
Childish; immature, often in a dismissive or trivializing way.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *puer* meaning “boy,” and its modern edge shows how languages can turn youth into a judgment about weakness or immaturity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂u-
“small; few”
Latin
Latin
puer
“boy; child”
Late Latin
Latin
puerilis
“of a boy; boyish”
Old French
Old French
pueril
“boyish; childish”
14th Century
English
puerile
“boyish; childish”
Modern English
English
puerile
“childish; immature, often in a contemptuous sense”