teenager
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of teenager
Explanation
If you're younger than 20 but older than 12, congratulations! You're a teenager! Teenagers are also known as teens or adolescents. Generally, teenagers have finished elementary school, are growing fairly quickly, and are in the last stage of development before they become official adults. As a teenager, the things you may do include graduating from high school, getting a driver's license, and working at a paid job. Before teenager was coined in the 1920s, the word was teener.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Teenager Mika Stojsavljevic stunned Talia Gibson, ranked more than 200 places above her, in straight sets to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over Australia in the Billie Jean King Cup.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Teenager Yamal put Barca ahead after an hour with a deflected effort from the edge of the box.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
Teenager Iva Jovic says she is "really excited" to test herself against "the best" after booking a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final against world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
Teenager Iva Jovic sent two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini crashing out of the Australian Open on Friday with the seventh seed the biggest scalp of the young American's burgeoning career.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
All I wanted was an old-fashioned Teenager Walkout, wherein I stomp out of the room and slam the door to my bedroom and turn up The Hectic Glow and furiously write a eulogy.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
