adolescence

American  

[ad-l-es-uhns] / ˌæd lˈɛs əns /

noun

1. 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.

2. the process or state of growing to maturity.

3. a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity.

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adolescence British  

/ ˌædəˈlɛsəns /

noun

1. the period in human development that occurs between the beginning of puberty and adulthood

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adolescence Scientific  

/ ăd′l-ĕs′əns /

1. The period of physical and psychological development from puberty to the onset of adulthood.

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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. )

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adolescence

Children are almost always treated with special deference in American law, because lawmakers understand and respect the significance of adolescence and the necessity of parental guidance.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

It’s difficult to go from elementary school and childhood—where everyone is roughly the same—to middle school and adolescence, when everyone is growing up at different rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Not ironically, and not only in the nostalgic way one loves things that arrived alongside an adolescence spent under fluorescent lighting.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Autistic girls without co-occurring intellectual disabilities tend to be diagnosed significantly later than their male counterparts, often not until adolescence or later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

His body was rearranging itself toward manhood, and he was shaken by the veering winds of adolescence.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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Related Words

• boyhood
• teens

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