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

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.

Related Words

See young.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of juvenile

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

The juvenile whale, affectionately dubbed "Willapa Willy" by locals, was first spotted last Wednesday in the north fork of the river, about 145 miles southwest of Seattle, the marine mammal research group said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

“The last time we had a strong El Niño was in 2015 and 2016, and we had a lot of juvenile white sharks hanging around early,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

North of Stockholm, the Rosersberg prison is making preparations to house children as young as 13 in response to a much-criticised juvenile judicial reform expected to take effect in July.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Although many actors have played the part, it’s hard to imagine anyone better suited to it than Mr. Radcliffe, who still retains his ability to be convincingly juvenile without resorting to arch aww-cuteness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Some states also initiated mandatory transfer rules, which took away any discretion from prosecutors and judges over whether a child should be kept in the juvenile system.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

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