youth
noun
the condition of being young.
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youth
1 American
[yooth]
/ yuθ /
noun
youths
plural
-
the condition of being young.
- Antonyms:
- maturity
-
the appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit, etc., characteristic of one who is young.
-
the time of being young; early life.
His youth was spent on the farm.
- Synonyms:
- immaturity, minority
- Antonyms:
- maturity
-
the period of life from puberty to the attainment of full growth; adolescence.
-
the first or early period of anything.
The business, even in its youth, showed great potential.
-
young persons collectively.
-
a young person, especially a young man or male adolescent.
Youth
2
American
[yooth]
/ yuθ /
noun
youth
1
British
/ juːθ /
noun
-
the quality or condition of being young, immature, or inexperienced
his youth told against him in the contest
-
the period between childhood and maturity, esp adolescence and early adulthood
-
the freshness, vigour, or vitality characteristic of young people
youth shone out from her face
-
any period of early development
the project was in its youth
-
a young person, esp a young man or boy
-
young people collectively
youth everywhere is rising in revolt
Youth
2
British
/ juːθ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of youth
First recorded before 900; Middle English youthe, Old English geoguth; cognate with Dutch jeugd, German Jugend
Explanation
If you're not a little kid anymore, but you're not really an adult yet, you can describe this period of your life as your youth. You can use the noun youth in several ways — you might refer to a kid as a youth, describe the group of teenagers hanging out downtown as youth, or talk about the time in your life when you were young and carefree as your youth. In all cases, youth comes from the Old English geoguth, which is closely related to the root of young: geong.
Vocabulary lists containing youth
"Chicago" by Carl Sandburg
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"The New England Primer"
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Spelling Practice, Unit 3
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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.
Sonko had generated a passionate following among Senegal's disaffected youth ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
He later clarified he was referring to people with "fake and bogus degrees", not India's youth more broadly.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Some of St. Louis’s success might owe to his team’s youth.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
“He was always feeding us,” said Asim Billoo, 42, a counselor for youth at the mosque.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
“In her youth she was out hunting barons, har har! Caught one, too. Just my luck it was me.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
