preadolescent

American  

[pree-ad-l-es-uhnt] / ˌpri æd lˈɛs ənt /

adjective

1. of or relating to preadolescence or a preadolescent.

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noun

1. a person who is in the preadolescent years.

preadolescent British  

/ ˌpriːædəˈlɛsənt /

noun

1. a person who has not yet reached adolescence

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adjective

1. of or relating to the period before adolescence

Etymology

Origin of preadolescent

First recorded in 1905–10; pre- + adolescent

Example Sentences

Early in the movie, the character is played by Alyla Browne as preadolescent Furiosa.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

In their forgiveness journals, one preadolescent from Northern Ireland wrote: “We need to learn this to be friends.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2023

And still some blamed video games for having captured the attention of preadolescent boys — the perceived target audience.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2022

All of the preadolescent pups quickly sat for both people, but when the same pups reached adolescence many “repeatedly” refused to follow the order from their caregiver.

From Science Magazine • May 12, 2020

Not surprisingly, accounts of the 1963 epic on Everest resonated loud and long in my preadolescent imagination.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer