Childless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking the presence of children or offspring, not having any descendants, or being without the responsibilities and joys of parenting
2. Being without children either biologically or adoptively, reflecting a state where no progeny exist, or indicating a life unaffected by parenting
3. Denoting a condition where individuals do not have children, either by choice or circumstance, leading to a life devoid of direct familial lineage

Etymology: "Childless" is a plain compound, built from the noun "child" and the suffix "-less", which means "without" and is attached to nouns to form adjectives meaning "lacking" that thing. Its ancestor was the Old English adjective "lēas" (free of, lacking), which survives today only in this suffix and in words like "careless" and "fearless". The "-less" ending was productive from the start, so English speakers could build a new adjective of this kind whenever they needed one. The word arrived in Middle English as "childles", and it kept the same basic sense for centuries: a person, couple, or marriage without offspring. Its formation is entirely transparent, which is why it has changed so little over the centuries. The modern spelling simply settled into the form we use now.

Synonyms: infertile, barren, sterile

Antonyms: parental, fertile