young adult

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a category of fiction that is primarily intended for adolescent readers

young adult fiction/literature

We live in an era of blockbuster young adult book series: Harry Potter, Twilight, now the Hunger Games.

—Leah Wilson

Early in her four-year career as the young adult librarian of the Huckaby Public Library, Veronica Garde observed that most of the staff had a sliding scale of courtesy toward library users, teenagers being given the shortest shrift.

—A. J. Anderson

—abbreviation YA

Examples of young adult in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Flying around Big Bear is completely normal behavior for young adult eagles at this time of year. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2026

The acclaimed author, known for novels like Light Years from Home and his work for franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, is releasing his debut young adult novel this year. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Baggallini Set Wave Backpack Every teen and young adult needs a reliable backpack, and the Baggallini Set Wave Backpack is a fab pick for back-to-school season. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 11 Aug. 2026

While a successful addition to the streamer’s expansive slate of young adult stories, translating the book to screen didn’t come without challenges. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above