teenager
Americannoun
-
teenagers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Can Mount really be the 'third' midfielder spoken about so often in the summer, with the potential signing of Leicester teenager Louis Page as back-up?
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Challenged to improve his conditioning as a teenager, Brook has worked hard on his fitness as a professional.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"I kind of wish that I had made the most of being a teenager and getting away with things and being a bit rebellious."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Knowings joined Nickelodeon’s sketch show for kids and teens, “All That,” in 1997 when she was a teenager trying to break into the business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Now barely a teenager, Leonardo has grown up among olive groves and vineyards.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
A smile is missing, which comes as no surprise because he’s being asked to talk about a tragedy that few teenagers could overcome, let alone discuss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The findings may be particularly important for children and teenagers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Austin is one of those rare teenagers who looks and acts like someone destined to reach the highest level possible because of his physical gifts and mental outlook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
"If you go into a Lego shop now, it's pretty much split 50-50. On your left, you've got a kids and teenagers section, and on your right, it's just a whole adult section."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Her daughter, Pamela, was a teenager already and not so interested in me, though I found all teenagers intriguing.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
