teen
adjective
teen
1 American
[teen]
/ tin /
adjective
noun
teen
2
American
[teen]
/ tin /
noun
-
Archaic. suffering; grief.
-
Obsolete. injury; harm.
-teen
3
American
-teen
1
British
combining form
teen
2
British
/ tiːn /
adjective
teen
3
British
/ tiːn /
noun
Usage
What does -teen mean? The suffix -teen means “ten.” It is used to form cardinal numbers from 13 to 19. The form -teen comes from Old English -tēne, meaning “ten.” The Latin cognate of -tēne is -decim, from decem, also meaning “ten.” Find out how dozen is related to the combining form -decim at our entry for the word.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of teen1
First recorded in 1940–45; by shortening
Origin of teen2
before 1000; Middle English tene, Old English tēona; cognate with Old Frisian tiona, Old Saxon tiono, Old Norse tjōn
Origin of -teen3
Middle English, Old English -tēne, combining form of ten; cognate with Dutch -tien, German -zehn
Explanation
Are you between the ages of 13 and 19? If so, you're a teen! Teen is a less-formal way to say teenager. You can use this informal word as a noun or an adjective, so you might talk about teen literature, teen rebellion, teen movies, or teen romance—anything that has to do with teenagers. If you're 11, you may be eagerly anticipating your teen years; if you happen to be 37, you certainly remember being a teen, either fondly or not. The teen years are also known as adolescence.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Santa Ana teen was traveling at around 35 mph on a black E Ride Pro electric motorcycle when he struck the median and lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
“Foremost, they should be talking to their doctors,” said Dr. Adda Grimberg, a pediatric endocrinologist and scientific director of the Growth Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, of teen peptide use.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
But 16 year old Owen Cooper, who won best supporting actor for his role as young teen Jamie Miller, still remembers where it all began.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
The hope persists, though: Latifi interviewed several teen moms who are trying to make it big to provide for their young families.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
“Several stories said he was the most promising teen running back they’d seen in decades. That he had a shot at going pro.”
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
