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

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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
As in past Ebola outbreaks in the region, the youngest face the highest fatality rates, with children and adolescents almost twice as likely to die from the disease as adults. — Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 In addition to challenging those rules, the five sets of parents trying to sue also object to a long-standing state law that allows adolescents to consent to outpatient mental health treatment. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Adjective
At another section of the hospital, teens in hospital scrubs walked the quiet halls of the adolescent unit with their lunch trays. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 June 2026 Klopping said the agency will get reports of these adolescent bears wandering closer to populated areas. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 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 7 Jul. 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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