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.
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
Meyering carefully threads the themes of parental concern and young adult independence throughout her screenplay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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 ex-husband was a huge part of my formative years as a young adult," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“The ones back there are children’s and young adult books. Fiction, nonfiction, novels and poetry, comics and graphic novels. Anything that I think you folks might enjoy.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
