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Synonyms

youth

1 American  
[yooth] / yuθ /

noun

plural

youths,

plural

youth

  1. the condition of being young.

    Antonyms:
    maturity

  2. the appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit, etc., characteristic of one who is young.

  3. the time of being young; early life.

    His youth was spent on the farm.
    Synonyms:
    immaturity, minority
    Antonyms:
    maturity

  4. the period of life from puberty to the attainment of full growth; adolescence.

  5. the first or early period of anything.

    The business, even in its youth, showed great potential.

  6. young persons collectively.

  7. a young person, especially a young man or male adolescent.

    Synonyms:
    boy, lad, stripling, adolescent, teenager, youngster
Youth 2 American  
[yooth] / yuθ /

noun

  1. Isle of Youth an island in the Caribbean, a special municipality in southern Cuba. 1,182 sq. mi. (3,060 sq. km).

youth 1 British  
/ juːθ /

noun

  1. the quality or condition of being young, immature, or inexperienced

    his youth told against him in the contest

  2. the period between childhood and maturity, esp adolescence and early adulthood

  3. the freshness, vigour, or vitality characteristic of young people

    youth shone out from her face

  4. any period of early development

    the project was in its youth

  5. a young person, esp a young man or boy

  6. young people collectively

    youth everywhere is rising in revolt
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Youth 2 British  
/ juːθ /

noun

  1. Spanish name: Isla de la Juventud.  Former name: Isle of Pines.  an island in the NW Caribbean, south of Cuba: administratively part of Cuba from 1925. Chief town: Nueva Gerona. Pop: 80 600 (2002 est). Area: 3061 sq km (1182 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • youthless adjective

Etymology

Origin of youth

First recorded before 900; Middle English youthe, Old English geoguth; cognate with Dutch jeugd, German Jugend

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.

Salazar that rules on the legality of conversion-therapy bans and what it means for LGBTQ+ youth and the First Amendment.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

As a teen, he became a member of the Black Spades gang, parlaying his leadership abilities to form the Universal Zulu Nation, that sought to channel youth culture away from violence and towards creativity.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

He thought back to the brass bands of his youth, and the result was 1967’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

"I think this is a pretty common coping mechanism for a lot of people" to return to shows they enjoyed in their youth, Kaur said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

It could only have belonged to a youth.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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.