juvenile
adjective
, -nᵊl
\
Definition of juvenile
(Entry 1 of 2)
juvenile
nounDefinition of juvenile (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for juvenile
Synonyms: Adjective
adolescent, immature, young, youngish, youthful
Synonyms: Noun
bairn [chiefly Scottish], bambino, bud, chap [Southern & Midland], chick, child, cub, kid, kiddie (also kiddy), kiddo, moppet, sprat, sprout, squirt, whelp, youngling, youngster, youth
Antonyms: Adjective
adult, grown-up, mature, matured
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of juvenile in a Sentence
Adjective
She criticized his juvenile behavior at the party. a juvenile alligator just hatched from its eggNoun
She works to keep juveniles away from drugs. a medical study that followed juveniles through adolescence and into adulthood
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Morris criticized the state's restitution law for removing any discretion from a judge, particularly in a juvenile case. — Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Judge to issue written ruling on restitution for teen who ignited Eagle Creek fire," 17 May 2018 An increase in juvenile cases tracks with what Orleans Chief Juvenile Court Judge Candice Bates-Anderson told the New Orleans City Council about trafficking cases in October. — Kevin Litten, NOLA.com, "Human trafficking in Louisiana continues to increase, state numbers show," 5 Mar. 2018 Black children represent about a third of juvenile arrests and more than 40% of juvenile detentions nationwide. — Tyrone Beason, The Seattle Times, "As King County looks to end youth detention, Choose 180 offers a path of ‘restorative justice’," 12 Apr. 2019 As a teenager, Flores was on juvenile parole, involved in gangs, and dropped out of high school. — Katie Halper, Teen Vogue, "Lucy Flores: Biden's Unwanted Touching Should be Part of #MeToo Conversations," 6 Apr. 2019 Further investigation led police to two juvenile suspects. — Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, "In Wareham, a case of SUV-dipping," 6 July 2018 Buckingham said there are certain circumstances under Indiana law in which charges against juvenile suspects can be pursued in adult court. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "Bosma says legislators are reviewing state law after Noblesville shooting," 6 June 2018 Fort Worth Police spokesman Bradley Perez said the juvenile suspect was arrested Wednesday. — CBS News, "Report: 14-year-old stabbed, killed after fight that started over sleepover," 1 June 2018 Officials have said that seven of the juvenile suspects were from Waukegan and one was from Beach Park. — Jim Newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Man charged in Great America attack is a fugitive again for second time in less than a month," 10 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The identity of the juvenile wasn’t publicly released. — Joseph De Avila, WSJ, "Family of Connecticut Shooting Victim Pushes Tougher Gun-Storage Law," 27 Nov. 2018 In a third instance, Miami-Dade police are investigating the shooting of a juvenile in a residential neighborhood at 2000 NW 67 St. At least four shots were fired near homes and an apartment's playground. — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, "Three early morning shootings send two men and a juvenile to the hospital," 7 July 2018 Covington police said the name of the juvenile is not being released. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Second juvenile arrested in cancer patient killing," 20 June 2018 However, this particular specimen might have been a juvenile. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the New Titanosaur, a Giant That Fills in Dinosaur Fossil Gaps," 13 Feb. 2019 All four juveniles were charged with interfering with a police officer, third-degree criminal trespass, third-degree burglary and third-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, police said. — Mikaela Porter, courant.com, "West Hartford Police: Four Juveniles Arrested After Car Burglaries Near Concord Street," 29 June 2018 The juvenile has been lodged in the Campbell County Juvenile Detention Facility located in Newport. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Body of missing Covington woman found near Rabbit Hash, 2 arrested," 15 June 2018 Four juveniles were taken into custody after attempting to carjack a woman at 7:05 a.m. June 4 in the parking lot of St. Bernard's Parish, 7476 Harwood Ave., according to a Wauwatosa Police report. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Four juveniles taken into custody after attempted carjacking in Tosa," 12 June 2018 Both juveniles were apprehended a few minutes later, when the victim flagged down an NOPD officer. — Marie Simoneaux, NOLA.com, "2 juveniles accused of trying to rob man of his bike in St. Roch: NOPD," 31 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'juvenile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Childlike' vs. 'Childish'
'Childlike' vs. 'Childish'
The words have very different connotations
Dictionary Entries near juvenile
Statistics for juvenile
Last Updated
10 May 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for juvenile
The first known use of juvenile was in 1625
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More Definitions for juvenile
juvenile
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of juvenile
(Entry 1 of 2)
juvenile
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of juvenile (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for juvenile in the English Language Learners Dictionary
juvenile
adjective
, -və-nᵊl\
Kids Definition of juvenile
(Entry 1 of 2)
juvenile
nounKids Definition of juvenile (Entry 2 of 2)
juvenile
adjective
, -vən-ᵊl
\
Medical Definition of juvenile
(Entry 1 of 2)
juvenile
nounMedical Definition of juvenile (Entry 2 of 2)
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juvenile
nounLegal Definition of juvenile
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