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
Leah WilsonEarly 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
A. J. AndersonExamples of young adult in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1992, the typical young adult owed $6,000 to $7,000 in student loans.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 13 June 2026
The mild-mannered married dad of two young adult children ticks off a laundry list of advocacy and policy achievements, especially affordable housing, tenants and workers rights, racial justice and improving public schools, like the ones his kids attended in Park Slope.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Prime Video has found its niche with young adult romance adaptations.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
Since the investigation took nearly two decades to come to a close, The Witness flashed between a younger version of Alex, played by Williams, and an older young adult version of him, played by Max Fincham.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for young adult
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.
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 13 June 2026
The mild-mannered married dad of two young adult children ticks off a laundry list of advocacy and policy achievements, especially affordable housing, tenants and workers rights, racial justice and improving public schools, like the ones his kids attended in Park Slope.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Prime Video has found its niche with young adult romance adaptations.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
Since the investigation took nearly two decades to come to a close, The Witness flashed between a younger version of Alex, played by Williams, and an older young adult version of him, played by Max Fincham.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for young adult
Cite this Entry
“Young adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/young%20adult. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
