ad·o·les·cent
ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt 
: a young person who is developing into an adult : one who is in the state of adolescence
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
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
Jasely Molina, Parents, 2 July 2024
Murthy pointed out that guns have for a few years been the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States, outpacing even motor vehicles.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 July 2024
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 8 July 2024
Some have argued there is little evidence to support the link between digital technology use and adolescent mental health.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 7 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for adolescent 
Noun
Initially, Ibarra noticed there weren’t many safe spaces for adolescents, especially young women and gender-expansive youth, to learn about photography.
—Jasely Molina, Parents, 2 July 2024
Murthy pointed out that guns have for a few years been the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States, outpacing even motor vehicles.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 July 2024
Adjective
All of these details add up to a portrait of a regular adolescent girl.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 8 July 2024
Some have argued there is little evidence to support the link between digital technology use and adolescent mental health.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 7 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for adolescent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adolescent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near adolescent
Cite this Entry
“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adolescent. Accessed 14 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
adolescent
1 of 2 noun
ad·o·les·cent
-ᵊnt
: one that is in the state of adolescence
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