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 of adolescent

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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
Berlin said social media and bullying have negatively impacted children and adolescents. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026 The launch comes as OpenAI faces legal scrutiny over ChatGPT’s interactions with young people and a broader debate over whether adolescents should be forming relationships with AI chatbots at all. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Once dismissed as overly sweet, hyper-feminine, or adolescent, the best gourmand fragrances have since evolved. — Danielle James, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026 If developmental science justifies treating adolescent offenders differently from adults, then that same science should also inform how Connecticut recognizes, protects, and supports adolescent victims. — Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026 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 22 Aug. 2026.

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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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