teenager

American  

[teen-ey-jer] / ˈtinˌeɪ dʒər /

noun

1. a person in their teens.

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teenager British  

/ ˈtiːnˌeɪdʒə /

noun

1. a person between the ages of 13 and 19 inclusive

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Etymology

Origin of teenager

First recorded in 1935–40; teenage + -er ¹

Explanation

If you're younger than 20 but older than 12, congratulations! You're a teenager! Teenagers are also known as teens or adolescents. Generally, teenagers have finished elementary school, are growing fairly quickly, and are in the last stage of development before they become official adults. As a teenager, the things you may do include graduating from high school, getting a driver's license, and working at a paid job. Before teenager was coined in the 1920s, the word was teener.

Example Sentences

Teenager Yamal put Barca ahead after an hour with a deflected effort from the edge of the box.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

Teenager Blades Brown fired a spectacular 12-under par 60 to join world number one Scottie Scheffler atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the PGA Tour American Express in La Quinta, California, on Friday.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

Teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scores a stunning overhead kick to deny Bournemouth a rare away victory in the Premier League.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

Teenager Rio Ngumoha bagged a 100th-minute winner at Newcastle United, again after Liverpool had been two up.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025

All I wanted was an old-fashioned Teenager Walkout, wherein I stomp out of the room and slam the door to my bedroom and turn up The Hectic Glow and furiously write a eulogy.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Related Words

• juvenile
• minor
• youngster
• youth