young adult
Americannoun
-
a teenager (used especially by publishers and librarians).
-
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.
Romer grew up in a trailer park in New York but moved to Lafayette, La., as a young adult with her partner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
McElwee’s last documentary, 2011’s “Photographic Memory,” saw Adrian as a young adult, trying to come into his own and figure out his place in life amid a shifting social landscape riddled with digital black holes.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Not only does the new version of the story echo Etchell's experience of being dismissed as a young adult, it also reflects the experiences of playwright Tom Wentworth, who is behind the production.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
But the more important conclusion is that your needs were not met as a child, nor as a young adult adjusting to a new life with a disability.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
My good fortune, the fortune that saved my life, was that he was not only a young adult but a pliable young adult, an omega animal.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
