Since acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was firstly reported in 1967, the diagnostic criteria and classification standard have evolved continually. Neonatal ARDS has drawn increasing attention in recent years, while research on neonatal ARDS has proceeded slowly, partly because of ambiguity in the definitions and diagnostic criteria of neonatal ARDS. In this comment, we overview the application of the Berlin definition made in 2012, the Montreux definition made in 2017, and the definition of pediatric ARDS update by the Second Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference made in 2023 (PALICC-2 definition) in neonatal ARDS, then compare the similarities and differences among the three definitions. Finally, the differences in classification standard, triggers, morbidity, mortality, poor prognosis, and treatment among the three definitions for neonatal ARDS were analyzed, and the research directions in the future of the definition for neonatal ARDS were proposed.