youth

noun

ˈyüth 

plural youths ˈyüt͟hz  ˈyüths 

often attributive

1

a

: the time of life when one is young

especially : the period between childhood and maturity

b

: the early period of existence, growth, or development

2

a

: a young person

especially : a young male between adolescence and maturity

b

: young persons or creatures

—usually plural in construction

3

: the quality or state of being youthful : youthfulness

Synonyms of youth

• boy
• teenager
• kid
• adolescent

Examples of youth in a Sentence

She had a troubled youth.

He spent his youth in the Midwest.

He got into a lot of trouble in his youth.

a generation trying to recapture lost youth

when the industry was still in its youth

Four youths are suspected of starting the fire.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even with a squad laden with graduates from their La Masia youth academy, Barca’s wage bill is routinely one of football’s highest, reflecting how much the club must pay in order to retain its talent. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Gadgets with screens of any size have long been allegedly melting, rotting, and/or corrupting the brains of youths for decades. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Till is a member of the Firekeeper Alliance, which has close ties with the festival, and strives to decrease the suicide rate among indigenous youths through teaching them about heavy metal. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026

Reading by 9, a program of the Los Angeles Times, aims to support youth and family literacy. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English youthe, from Old English geoguth; akin to Old English geong young — more at young

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing youth

• fountain of youth
• in the flower of one's youth
• misspent youth
• the youth
• youth club
• youth hostel
• youth rally

Rhymes for youth

• bluetooth
• forsooth
• sawtooth
• tolbooth
• uncouth
• untruth
• vermouth
• luth
• muth
• sleuth
• tooth

Kids Definition

youth

noun

ˈyüth 

plural youths ˈyüt͟hz  ˈyüths 

1

: the time of life when one is young

especially : the period between childhood and adulthood

2

a

: a young man

b

: young people

the youth of today

—usually used with a plural verb

3

: the quality or state of being young