Definition of adolescencenext
as in youth
the transitional period between childhood and adulthood adolescence can be a turbulent time for teenagers and parents alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adolescence We were inducted into adolescence through active shooter drills and exit-route scans, carrying the unique anxiety of a youth caught in the crosshairs of a national crisis. Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026 Conflict resolution skills are key for helping teens navigate the ups and downs of adolescence. Parents, 24 Aug. 2026 Set at a New England prep school during World War II, A Separate Peace paints a messy, complex depiction of adolescence and the loss of innocence. Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026 Based partly on American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis’s own adolescence—minus the serial killer—the series follows a group of privileged teens in 1981 Los Angeles. Amanda Le, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adolescence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescence
Noun
  • Flashbacks to the characters’ youth (with Arquette’s own daughter Harlow Jane playing her younger self) identify Diehl-Rothstein as an intelligent, ingenuous young woman who just needs a little help to make something of herself.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Ryen Wickham, a youth athlete and loyal Mahomes fan in Nebraska, celebrated the season opener of the Kansas City Chiefs Monday by reposting an adorable video of herself as a little girl meeting the team’s quarterback.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • These might still be in their infancy but promise a brand new tomorrow that will be drastically different from the present.
    Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When rideshare apps were still in their relative infancy, Orlando Vilchez Lazo was driving around San Francisco posing as a driver to pick up women coming out of bars and nightclubs.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Kyl rose to a leadership position during his last full term in the Senate, when his Republican colleagues selected him as minority whip.
    JACQUES BILLEAUD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The overwhelmingly white and male leadership commands an enlisted force in which 34% identify with a racial minority group and 17% are women.
    Jeremiah Favara, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Adolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescence. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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