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Synonyms

youthful offender

American  
[yooth-fuhl uh-fen-der] / ˈyuθ fəl əˈfɛn dər /
Also youth offender

noun

  1. a young delinquent, especially a first offender, usually from 14 to 21 years old, whom the court tries to correct and guide rather than to punish as a criminal.

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.

The brothers are eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law which allows individuals who committed crimes before the age of 26 to seek a reduced sentence.

From BBC • May 14, 2025

But because he is considered a youthful offender, Eis will be eligible for a parole hearing after serving 24 years in prison, prosecutor Amber Lee said in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

In denying Mr. Belter youthful offender status, Judge Murphy cited the “moving and eloquent” victim statement M.M. made in court in August.

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2021

Weidert was a youthful offender who has "an impeccable prison record" and four psychological assessments saying he would be of little risk if released, said his attorney, Charles Carbone.

From Fox News • Aug. 10, 2021

What good can possibly come either to the State or to the youthful offender?

From London's Underworld by Holmes, Thomas

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.