adolescent

1 of 2

noun

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

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

Adjective

• young
• juvenile

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

Noun

Digital marketing gives the food and beverage industry powerful access to young audiences, and the market is saturated; children and adolescents are bombarded by these products everywhere, from shops to schools and digital spaces, the report notes. —Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

How to Decide What's Right for Your Family Most adolescents who are interested in a piercing want them as a form of self-expression and to show their individuality, says Beth Oller, MD, a family physician with Rooks County Health Center. —Sherri Gordon, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025

Adjective

But in recent years, psychologists, sociologists and concerned parents alike have noticed a growing number of young adults who seem caught in this adolescent quicksand — unable or unwilling to take the next step into adulthood. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Advertisement Advertisement Boston Children’s Hospital was home to the first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program in the nation, according to court documents. —Solcyré Burga, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing adolescent

• sub-adolescent

Rhymes for adolescent

• acquiescent
• arborescent
• coalescent
• convalescent
• deliquescent
• effervescent
• evanescent
• incandescent
• iridescent
• luminescent
• obsolescent
• opalescent

Medical Definition

adolescent

1 of 2 noun

ad·​o·​les·​cent -ᵊnt 

: one that is in the state of adolescence

adolescent

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or being in adolescence

adolescently adverb