adolescence
Americannoun
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the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached; youth.
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the process or state of growing to maturity.
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a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity.
noun
Etymology
Origin of adolescence
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin adolēscentia, from adolēscent-, stem of adolēscēns “growing up” ( see adolescent) + -ia -ia ( def. )
Explanation
The period of time when you physically and emotionally transition from childhood to adulthood is called adolescence. Basically it's when you're old enough to want to be an adult, but young enough that no one takes you seriously! The noun adolescence comes from the Latin word adolescere, which means "to ripen" or "to grow up." So it makes sense that we use it to describe that unique age when kids start growing into something closer to grown-ups. Adolescence can also refer more specifically to puberty. When you were in your adolescence, it bothered you when your parents pried into your life. But now that your kids are adolescents, you do the same thing to them.
Vocabulary lists containing adolescence
Power Suffix: -escence
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List 8
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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.
Such deposits may begin accumulating as early as adolescence, although scientists still do not fully understand what these early changes mean.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
Girls’ coping strategies often work until early adolescence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Lower levels of self-reported unsupervised physical activity were associated with better cognitive processing in adolescence.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Add pandemic adolescence, expensive housing and stagnant wages, and different choices begin to look less mysterious than inevitable.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Joseph Hooper thought, if he were older, I could deal with him, if he were older and different, all could be understood and explained away by his adolescence.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
