adolescent

[ad-l-es-uhnt]

adjective

1. growing to manhood or womanhood; youthful.

   Synonyms: young, immature

2. having the characteristics of adolescence or of an adolescent.

noun

1. an adolescent person.

   Synonyms: minor, teenager, youth

adolescent

/ ˌædəˈlɛsənt /

adjective

1. of or relating to adolescence

2. informal,  behaving in an immature way; puerile

noun

1. an adolescent person

Other Word Forms

• adolescently adverb
• postadolescent adjective
• subadolescent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of adolescent¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin adolēscent- (stem of adolēscēns “growing up,” present participle of adolēscere ), equivalent to adol(ē)- ( adult ) + -ēsc- verb suffix + -ent- adjective suffix; -esce, -ent

Example Sentences

“Defendants know children and adolescents are in a developmental stage that leaves them particularly vulnerable to the addictive effects of these features. Defendants target them anyway, in pursuit of additional profit.”

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A 2023 study from the University of Cambridge found that American adolescents who spent more time reading for pleasure when they were younger had fewer mental-health problems and scored higher on cognitive assessments.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But beyond George Carlin’s seven dirty words, I can think of at least a dozen other words—mostly adolescent playground insults—that we’re all forced to think twice before saying.

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Not only do fears of exclusion affect the well-being of adolescents, but so does the comparative culture perpetuated by social media.

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Like a child with a gun, their relative weakness — the performative masculinity of an insecure adolescent — should not blind us to the harm they can cause, nor assure anyone that their failure is inevitable.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• juvenile 
• minor 
• teenager 
• tween 
• youngster 
• youth