juvenile

adjective

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ju·ve·nile | \ ˈjü-və-ˌnī(-ə)l

, -nᵊl

Definition of juvenile

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : physiologically immature or undeveloped : young juvenile birds

2a : of, relating to, characteristic of, or suitable for children or young people juvenile fiction

b : of or relating to young people who have committed or are accused of committing a criminal offense the juvenile justice system juvenile crime

3 : reflecting psychological or intellectual immaturity : childish juvenile behavior juvenile pranks told him he was being juvenile

4 : derived from sources within the earth and coming to the surface for the first time —used especially of water and gas

juvenile

noun

plural juveniles

Definition of juvenile (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a young person : youth often, specifically : an individual who is under an age fixed by law (such as 18 years) at which he or she would be charged as an adult for a criminal act … some states also have been changing their laws to give school administrators more access to the records of juveniles whose cases were processed by juvenile courts. — Peter Schmidt

b : a book for children or young people

2 : a young individual resembling an adult of its kind except in size and reproductive activity: such as

a : a fledged bird not yet in adult plumage

b : a 2-year-old racehorse

3 : an actor or actress who plays youthful parts

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing juvenile Learn More About juvenile

Synonyms & Antonyms for juvenile

Synonyms: Adjective

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

Antonyms: Noun

Examples of juvenile in a Sentence

Adjective She criticized his juvenile behavior at the party. a juvenile alligator just hatched from its egg Noun 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 The hardcover fiction and nonfiction lists also encompass a mix of adult, young adult and juvenile titles while the business list features only adult hardcover titles. — WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 Officers found the vehicle and the juvenile matching the description pulling into a residence on Jaycox Road. — Cheryl Higley, cleveland, 2 Aug. 2022 The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries says that juvenile humpbacks have been feeding off local bait fish. — Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Aug. 2022 The status of the juvenile defendant’s case was not immediately available. — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022 Two of the three individuals, one adult and one juvenile, reportedly admitted to their involvement, according to police. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2022 First, the juvenile bamboo shark embryos are brought to the center from the Phuket Marine Biology Center. — Karla Cripps, CNN, 1 Aug. 2022 An unknown juvenile male dressed in all black repeatedly assaulted the man before fleeing the scene, according to preliminary investigations. — Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2022 He was first arrested at age 14, doing time in juvenile detention centers and prisons across Connecticut. — Kelan Lyons, Hartford Courant, 31 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The victim, identified as a juvenile, was removed from the vehicle and the driver, Erasmo Dejejus-Olmos, 21, was taken into custody, police said. — Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2022 The driver, later identified as the juvenile, initially refused to pull over when cops activated their sirens, the statement said. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2022 Sheriff’s deputies responded at 8 a.m. to a report of an unresponsive juvenile in the West Point area, said Deputy Chad Whaley. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 27 June 2022 McFadden was killed and two passengers in the Focus, 20-year-old Dayla Dancer of Garland, Texas, and 39-year-old Mecedric McFadden Sr., of Little Rock, were injured, as was an unidentified juvenile in the other truck. — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2022 An out-of-state juvenile was identified Monday as the source of one of four threats made to a Naperville high school since Sept. 22. — Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 19 Oct. 2021 Gabriel was found unconscious in a bedroom of a residence in the 900 block of Division Avenue NE, according to police, who had responded to the residence about 8:25 a.m. for a report of an unconscious juvenile. — Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2020 The girl said Sydnor would lay on the floor between her and another juvenile and that the abuse happened on more than one occasion, according to the complaint. — Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 14 July 2022 He was also previously arrested for making threats of harm with a weapon to another juvenile on social media. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, 12 June 2022 See More

These 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.