juvenile

American  

[joo-vuh-nl, -nahyl] / ˈdʒu və nl, -ˌnaɪl /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or suitable or intended for young persons.

   juvenile books.

2. young; youthful.

   juvenile years.

3. immature; childish; infantile.

   His juvenile tantrums are not in keeping with his age.

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noun

• juveniles
  plural

1. a young person; youth.

2. Theater.

   1. a youthful male or female role.

   2. an actor or actress who plays such parts.

3. a book for children.

4. Ornithology. a young bird that has its first set of contur feathers.

5. a two-year-old racehorse.

juvenile British  

/ ˈdʒuːvɪˌnaɪl /

adjective

1. young, youthful, or immature

2. suitable or designed for young people

   juvenile pastimes

3. (of animals or plants) not yet fully mature

4. of or denoting young birds that have developed their first plumage of adult feathers

5. geology occurring at the earth's surface for the first time; new

   juvenile water

   juvenile gases

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noun

1. a juvenile person, animal, or plant

2. an actor who performs youthful roles

3. a book intended for young readers

Usage

What does juvenile mean? Juvenile describes something that is related to youth or young people. Generally, juvenile is used to describe something that has to do with children, as in Sam folded the juvenile clothing before he folded the baby clothing. Juvenile can also describe something that is related to youth or being young, as in Now in her 80s, Hannah looked back fondly on her juvenile years. Juvenile can also be used to describe something that is related to youth in a negative way, such as being immature or naive, as in Drawing on the walls is juvenile behavior that most parents won’t tolerate. As a noun, juvenile is a young person, as in The lost driver got directions from the friendly juvenile on the corner. Jejune is a synonym for juvenile in the sense of something childish or immature. But jejune can also describe something that is bland or uninspiring, as in He wrote a jejune story about making eggs for breakfast. Example: The author wrote juvenile fiction that was incredibly popular with the country’s children.

Synonym Usage

See young.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juvenileness
  noun
• prejuvenile
  adjective
• unjuvenile
  adjective
• juvenilely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juveniles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of juvenile

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin juvenīlis “youthful,” equivalent to juven(is) “youthful” + -īlis adjective suffix; see -ile

Explanation

If you're being juvenile, you're not acting your age. Unless of course you are a juvenile. In which case, carry on. While the noun juvenile refers to someone not physically or emotionally mature, the word is often used as an adjective to refer to anything specifically for young people, such as juvenile reading materials or movies. It can be derisive, as in "Don't act so juvenile," suggesting a silliness unbecoming an adult. The word comes from the Latin juvenīlis, meaning "youthful" — similar, but much more flattering.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

juvenile juveniles

Kilkeel Angling Club said "several generations of juvenile fish have been wiped out".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

“I could go sit in a corner, and you can be a juvenile delinquent reading juvenile delinquent books.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

But warmer oceans are also often bereft of the high-energy prey these juvenile salmon need for rapid growth when they reach the saltwater.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

The twin artists and designers’ tiresomely juvenile works are the focus of this survey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

If convicted, he faced a maximum sentence of life in prison, a punishment he would never have faced if he had been charged as a juvenile.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

"Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles," said Ayres.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

Soon, he said, three pursuing New York State Police troopers emerged from the tree line and arrested seven juveniles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

There were 270 juveniles housed at Los Padrinos last April.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

"If you're being bleached before you've even recovered and been able to produce juveniles again, then that's only a downwards trajectory from there," said Oakley.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

More than a dozen of our Louisiana clients who were sentenced as juveniles to die in prison are now at home.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• adolescent
• boy
• girl
• infant
• minor
• youngster
• youth