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

Over nearly two decades, those additional contributions—not the initial government deposit—will largely determine whether a young adult reaches adulthood with a few thousand dollars or tens of thousands. — Darrick Hamilton, Fortune, 16 July 2026

This clothing brand for young adult women has been located next to Princess Polly near Macy’s Fashion since April. — Alexandra Phelps july 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

The duo, known for fictional young adult content on YouTube, plans to keep leveling up their material while keeping it native to the internet. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Chris Simonsen is the CEO of Orangewood Foundation, a leading provider of youth and young adult programs and services in Orange County. — Chris Simonsen, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above