being in the first or early stage of life or growth; youthful; not old.
a young woman.
having the appearance, freshness, vigor, or other qualities of youth.
of or relating to youth.
in one's young days.
inexperienced or immature.
not far advanced in years in comparison with another or others.
junior, as applied to the younger of two persons having the same name.
the young Mr. Smith.
being in an early stage generally, as of existence, progress, operation, development, or maturity; new; early.
a young wine; It is a young company, not yet firmly established.
representing or advocating recent or progressive tendencies, policies, or the like.
those who have youth; young persons collectively.
the educated young of today; a game for young and old.
young offspring.
a mother hen protecting her young.
Andrew (Jackson, Jr.), born 1932, U.S. clergyman, Black civil rights leader, politician, and diplomat: mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1981–89.
Art(hur Henry), 1866–1944, U.S. cartoonist and author.
Brigham, 1801–77, U.S. leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Charles, 1864–1922, U.S. army colonel: highest-ranking Black officer in World War I.
Denton True Cy, 1867–1955, U.S. baseball player.
Edward, 1683–1765, English poet.
Ella, 1867–1956, Irish poet and mythologist in the U.S.
Lester Willis PresPrez, 1909–59, U.S. jazz tenor saxophonist.
Owen D., 1874–1962, U.S. lawyer, industrialist, government administrator, and financier.
Stark, 1881–1963, U.S. drama critic, novelist, and playwright.
Thomas, 1773–1829, English physician, physicist, mathematician, and Egyptologist.
Whitney M., Jr., 1921–71, U.S. social worker and educator: executive director of the National Urban League 1961–71.
having lived, existed, or been made or known for a relatively short time
a young man
a young movement
a young country
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the young
youthful or having qualities associated with youth; vigorous or lively
she's very young for her age
of or relating to youth
in my young days
having been established or introduced for a relatively short time
a young member
in an early stage of progress or development; not far advanced
the day was young
geography
(of mountains) formed in the Alpine orogeny and still usually rugged in outline
another term for youthful
(often capital) of or relating to a rejuvenated group or movement or one claiming to represent the younger members of the population, esp one adhering to a political ideology
Young England
Young Socialists
(functioning as plural) offspring, esp young animals
a rabbit with her young
(of animals) pregnant
Brigham (ˈbrɪɡəm). 1801–77, US Mormon leader, who led the Mormon migration to Utah and founded Salt Lake City (1847)
Edward. 1683–1765, English poet and dramatist, noted for his Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality (1742–45)
Lester. 1909–59, US saxophonist and clarinetist. He was a leading early exponent of the tenor saxophone in jazz
Neil ( Percival ). born 1945, Canadian rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His albums include Harvest (1972), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Ragged Glory (1990), and Prairie Wind (2005)
Thomas. 1773–1829, English physicist, physician, and Egyptologist. He helped to establish the wave theory of light by his experiments on optical interference and assisted in the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone
Young, youthful, juvenile all refer to lack of age. Young is the general word for that which is undeveloped, immature, and in process of growth: a young colt, child; young shoots of wheat. Youthful has connotations suggesting the favorable characteristics of youth, such as vigor, enthusiasm, and hopefulness: youthful sports, energy, outlook. Juvenile may suggest less desirable characteristics, such as childishness, petulance, idleness, selfishness, or heedlessness ( juvenile behavior ), or it may refer simply to the years, up to the later teens, before legal responsibility: juvenile delinquency; juvenile court; juvenile books.
First recorded before 900; Middle English yong(e), Old English geong; cognate with Dutch jong, German jung, Old Norse ungr, Gothic jungs; akin to Latin juvenis
Use the adjective young to describe a person who hasn't been alive very long or doesn't have much life experience. You might feel much wiser and more sophisticated than your young cousins — even if you secretly enjoy playing games with them. As a noun, young generally means "animal babies," like when a mother duck and her young cross the street, though it can also refer collectively to young people: "The young recover so quickly from being sick." When you describe someone as young, you typically mean that they're immature, youthful, or simply not as old as you might expect: "Kids are getting phones so young these days!"
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She tells the paper schools have been in a "straitjacket" of prioritising academic subjects, leading to many young people being "left behind", with a million currently not in training or work.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Proponents of the project say the opposition is just trying to find obscure legal arguments to slow down a project that would help young families find a place to live.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Mercedes Cabrera Lafaro was hoping to reopen her beauty parlor now that the large groups of young men were no longer roaming the streets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Aside from Watkins at the top of the draft, Louisiana State guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins, Kentucky center Clara Strack and LSU guard Mikaylah Williams will be viable young players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Here was a new danger, a tiny fugitive too young to know the folly of making a noise.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
All it cost them to snatch up the winner of the last two American League Cy Young Awards was three minor-leaguers whose absences will barely make a dent in their loaded farm system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
“That right there alone is amazing,” Young said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
He joins the Dodgers just as Blake Snell—another two-time Cy Young winner—is on the verge of returning from the injured list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Young ants naturally had higher levels of NPF and lower levels of AstA in important areas of the brain.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
Young turkeys will follow their moms anywhere, from field to field and even in front of oncoming cars.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Stephen Street, who has lived in the same home in the Marina since 1997, said he is sympathetic to younger people trying to find a home in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He rushed back from a farmhouse holiday with friends, scrambling to retrieve the notes and textbooks he had already given to younger students in case he had to sit the exam again.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
As for the Neo, Luria told MarketWatch that Apple saw “a need to expand its addressable market and engage with younger consumers that were defaulting into Chromebooks and low-end PCs.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Video footage showed her sparring with two younger eagles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
He had slipped easily into the part of being a younger brother to Peter— mostly, I think, because he genuinely liked having an older brother of his own, a proper pal.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
It is a senior revolution at the Premier League's youngest team.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
He got a Ph.D. from Princeton, taught at Harvard and returned to his alma mater as its youngest math professor ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Feaster just turned 17 in late May — and presumably would be one of the youngest players ever to suit up for USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Most of those arrivals have been sent back to Morocco but crowds of the youngest ones lingered, saying they hoped to make it to mainland Europe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
At forty-three, Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected president.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
