adolescent

1 of 2

noun

ad·​o·​les·​cent ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt How to pronounce adolescent (audio)
Synonyms of adolescentnext
: a young person who is developing into an adult : one who is in the state of adolescence

adolescent

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or being in adolescence
adolescent growth
adolescent boys and girls
2
: emotionally or intellectually immature
did not appreciate her husband's adolescent high jinks
adolescently adverb

Synonyms

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of adolescent in a Sentence

Noun Their children are now adolescents. Adjective an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Dale has long been a leader in the study of the brains of children and adolescents. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025 Between 40 and 65 percent of people living during the time were children or adolescents. — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2025
Adjective
Because the three main characters of the show span three developmental stages (a preschooler, younger adolescent, and a preteen) and the show is so gently-paced and calm, Stillwater is appropriate for all ages. — Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 July 2025 This body mist bottles up those adolescent vibes with notes of cotton candy, vanilla, and coconut milk, and lasts longest when sprayed on pulse points. — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for adolescent

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin adolēscent-, adolēscens "young man or woman, youth," noun derivative of adolēscens adolescent entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin adolēscent-, adolēscens, adulēscens "young, youthful," present participle of adolēscere, adulēscere "to become mature, grow up" — more at adult entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adolescent was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing adolescent

Rhymes for adolescent

See All Rhymes for adolescent

Browse Nearby Words

adolescency
adolescent
adolescent stream
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Cite this Entry

“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adolescent. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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Medical Definition

adolescent

1 of 2 noun
ad·​o·​les·​cent -ᵊnt How to pronounce adolescent (audio)
: one that is in the state of adolescence

adolescent

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or being in adolescence
adolescently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

Nglish: Translation of adolescent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adolescent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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