What does puerile mean?
Puerile describes conduct, reasoning, or artistic work that is childish, trivial, or immature. It is often applied to arguments that rely on petulant display rather than evidence and to behaviour that seems silly or unworthy of the person or situation. Although puerile can describe a work, it generally carries a strongly critical tone: calling something puerile suggests that it has reduced serious matters to a childish level. The adjective comes from Latin puerilis, meaning “of a boy” or “childish,” ultimately related to puer, “boy.” Its usefulness lies in naming a specific kind of inadequacy: not merely an opinion many adults dislike, but an approach marked by childishness, triviality, or emotional immaturity. In careful writing, the term is best reserved for clear instances rather than used as a sweeping insult, since its evaluative force can overshadow the particular criticism being made.
adjectiveChildishly immature, trivial, or lacking in seriousness, especially in behaviour, reasoning, or artistic expression.
- Childishly immature, especially in behaviour or emotional expression.
- Trivial, unserious, or unworthy of serious consideration, especially in reasoning or argument.
"The minister dismissed the committee's concerns as a puerile attempt to distract from the real issue."
"His puerile response to a serious criticism only made the situation worse."
"The novel was dismissed by some critics as puerile, its plot relying on coincidence and broad comedy."
A grown-up argument can be puerile when it behaves like a child: Latin puerilis originally conveyed the idea of being boyish or childish.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does puerile come from?
Puerile was borrowed from Latin puerilis, meaning “boyish” or “childish,” which was formed from puer, the Latin word for “boy.” It entered English in the early 17th century and was initially used to describe language or writing that was childish in style. The modern sense developed from that historical meaning into the broader idea of behaviour or reasoning that is immature, trivial, or lacking in seriousness.
Related word forms
How puerile is actually used
The word is normally critical or disapproving. It is often used to characterize arguments, excuses, behaviour, or creative work as being at a childish level of seriousness.
Easily confused with puerile
Puerile is an adjective describing something as childish or immature, whereas puerility is the noun naming that quality.