tweenager

Definition

A young person who is not yet a teenager (being less than thirteen years old), but starting to act like one: generally ten to twelve years old.

Etymology

Blend of 'tween + teenager. Attested as early as the 1950s, but popularized in the late 20th or early 21st century.

Example Sentences

• "Your eight to twelve year old is in the gray area between early childhood and the teen years. He is a child in the middle—a “tweenager.”"