Antonyms for puerility


Grammar : Noun
Spell : pyoo-uh-ril-i-tee, pyoo-ril-
Phonetic Transcription : ˌpyu əˈrɪl ɪ ti, pyʊˈrɪl-


Definition of puerility

Origin :
  • late 15c., from Middle French puérilité (15c.), from Latin puerilitatem (nominative puerilitas) "childishness," from puerilis "boyish, youthful; childish, trivial, silly," from puer "child, boy," from PIE *pau- (1) "few, little," with sense extended to "small, young" (cf. Latin putus "boy," Sanskrit putrah "son, boy," Avestan puthra- "son, child;" see few (adj.)).
  • As in immaturity : noun inexperience
  • As in stupidity : noun dullness of mind
  • As in silliness : noun folly
  • As in inexperience : noun lack of experience
  • As in frivolity : noun silliness, childishness
Example sentences :
  • They lavish their strength, their puerility, and their anger.
  • Extract from : « Napoleon the Little » by Victor Hugo
  • We can infer this from the signs of puerility of certain legends.
  • Extract from : « Essay on the Creative Imagination » by Th. Ribot
  • But the passengers might surely be as alive to the puerility as any one else.
  • Extract from : « The Town » by Leigh Hunt
  • It has bad English, bad verse, and puerility; but is not indelicate.
  • Extract from : « Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 115, January 10, 1852 » by Various
  • They began their sitting in puerility; they terminated their decrees in blood!
  • Extract from : « Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II » by Various
  • In brief, there is no puerility that is not at home in this sphere of misbegotten effort.
  • Extract from : « Ponkapog Papers » by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
  • We are perfectly convinced of the puerility of it all, but that does not help us in the least to mend it.
  • Extract from : « Character and Conduct » by Various
  • Her tone calls him back to a sense of the ungentleman-likeness and puerility of his conduct.
  • Extract from : « Alas! » by Rhoda Broughton
  • The puerility of garb and ceremonial was lost in the significance of the result.
  • Extract from : « Caybigan » by James Hopper
  • There was a childishness, a puerility about it that made the men smile.
  • Extract from : « Caybigan » by James Hopper

Synonyms for puerility

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019