This meaning of callow isn’t common (we only define the word this way in our Unabridged dictionary), but it both links the word directly to its origin, the Old English word calu, meaning “bald,” and to …

CALLOW definition: immature or inexperienced. See examples of callow used in a sentence.

CALLOW definition: 1. Someone, especially a young person, who is callow behaves in a way that shows they have little…. Learn more.

1. immature or inexperienced: a callow youth. 2. (of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.

If you're a rookie or new to something, you could be described as callow — like callow freshmen in high school or the callow receptionist who can't figure out how to transfer a call.

Feb 25, 2026 · Adjective callow (comparative more callow, superlative most callow) (Ireland) Of land: low-lying and near a river, and thus regularly submerged.

Definition of callow adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

noun A callow or teneral phase of an insect or other arthropod, typically shortly after ecdysis, while the skin still is hardening, the colours have not yet become stable, and as a rule, before the animal is …

Callow refers to someone, usually young, who is inexperienced, immature, or lacks the sophistication and wisdom that comes with age or experience. It is often used to describe behavior or actions that …

The beginning and end of a reign; a journey from callow youth to protective grande dame.