young adult
Americannoun
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young adults
plural
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a teenager (used especially by publishers and librarians).
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a person in the early years of adulthood.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Steer clear of constant checking and tracking or intervening These may soothe you in the short term, but can inadvertently communicate to your young adult: "I am not sure you can cope without me."
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
It is not unusual for a young adult to be swimming in expenses and racking up some debt.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Mr. Ruhlman’s most recent book is the young adult novel “A Taste of Somewhere Else.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
As a young adult Barbie collector, I vividly remember seeing the first Bob Mackie Barbie doll in a print ad of Barbie Bazaar magazine in 1990.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Looking for athletic young adult to play teen.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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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.