subadult

noun

sub·​adult ˌsəb-ə-ˈdəlt How to pronounce subadult (audio)
ˌsəb-ˈa-ˌdəlt
: an individual that has passed through the juvenile period but not yet attained typical adult characteristics
subadult adjective

Examples of subadult in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The first release on June 12 included three kits, three adults and one subadult, followed by two more beavers released June 17, officials said. Olivia Lloyd, Sacramento Bee, 26 June 2024 Bear cubs cannot survive on their own, so the refuge center will wait until the cub is a subadult — a range of ages between 4 and 6 years old where bears become independent of their mothers despite not yet being technically mature. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024 Research has shown that subadult males born in areas with dense cougar populations have no choice but to leave home. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 15 Feb. 2024 The collared wolves were an adult breeding female and a subadult from the Gearhart Mountain Pack. CBS News, 12 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subadult 

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subadult was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near subadult

Cite this Entry

“Subadult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subadult. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

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