adolescent
Americanadjective
-
growing to manhood or womanhood; youthful.
-
having the characteristics of adolescence or of an adolescent.
noun
-
adolescents
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to adolescence
-
informal behaving in an immature way; puerile
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of adolescent
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin adolēscent- (stem of adolēscēns “growing up,” present participle of adolēscere ), equivalent to adol(ē)- ( see adult) + -ēsc- verb suffix + -ent- adjective suffix; see -esce, -ent
Explanation
Adolescent is just a fancy word for teenager — someone who is no longer a child but is not yet an adult. The word can also be used as an adjective. For example, a particular clothing line might be geared toward adolescent girls. This word refers to all things related to teens — teenagers are adolescent, and the adolescent stage is after puberty and before adulthood. Since adults don't have a high opinion of teenagers, this word is also an insult. Movies full of fart jokes and immature shenanigans are called adolescent. If one adult says to another "You're acting very adolescent" that means "You're acting childish." Adolescent means something close to juvenile, another word that refers to young people and childish people.
Vocabulary lists containing adolescent
Spider-Man's Word Web
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Made You Look: Synonyms for "Immature"
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ant, -ent
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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:
That part of the story appeals to the restless adolescent versions of ourselves that can’t wait to find our place in the world.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Nassem said removing uniforms from schools was not the way forward and has sympathy with teachers and schools who are trying to manage complex adolescent behaviour.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
The reaction is swift, defensive and many times delivered with the vitriol of an adolescent facing the cosmic injustice of screen-time limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Opera came calling, it was a wild, if exciting, adolescent company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
The race was an all-day affair, heat upon heat of anxious and eager adolescent boys soldiering on through wobbly wheels, broken axles, driver error, parental disappointment, and photo finishes.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
“Reproductive goals counseling should be developmentally appropriate and designed to help adolescents reflect on their future aspirations related to relationships, childbearing, and family formation.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
He also worries restrictive diets could carry psychological risks for adolescents, whose relationship with food is still developing.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
"High blood pressure is also emerging earlier in life, with growing rates being seen in younger adults, in children and adolescents, which highlights the importance of early detection and prevention," she said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
"The responsibility for the safety of children and adolescents must first and foremost lie with those who design and manage digital platforms," EU lawmaker Sandro Ruotolo said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Of course, since we no longer count the years numerically, aside from children and adolescents, no one knows how old anyone is anymore—sometimes not even themselves.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
