young

adjective

\ ˈyəŋ

younger\ ˈyəŋ-gər

\; youngest\ ˈyəŋ-gəst

Definition of young

(Entry 1 of 8)

1a : being in the first or an early stage of life, growth, or development

b : junior sense 1a

c : of an early, tender, or desirable age for use as food or drink fresh young lamb a young wine

2 : having little experience

3a : recently come into being : new a young publishing company

b : youthful sense 5

4 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of youth or a young person young at heart

5 capitalized : representing a new or rejuvenated especially political group or movement

young

noun

plural young

Definition of young (Entry 2 of 8)

1 plural

a : young persons : youth

b : immature offspring —used especially of animals

2 : a single recently born or hatched animal

with young

of a female animal

: pregnant

Young

biographical name (1)

\ ˈyəŋ

Definition of Young (Entry 3 of 8)

Andrew Jackson, Jr. 1932– U.S. ambassador to U.N. (1977–79)

Young

biographical name (2)

Definition of Young (Entry 4 of 8)

Brig*ham \ ˈbri-gəm

\ 1801–1877 American Mormon leader

Young

biographical name (3)

Definition of Young (Entry 5 of 8)

Cy originally Denton True Young 1867–1955 American baseball player

Young

biographical name (4)

Definition of Young (Entry 6 of 8)

Michael W(arren) 1949– American geneticist

Young

biographical name (5)

Definition of Young (Entry 7 of 8)

Owen D. 1874–1962 American lawyer

Young

biographical name (6)

Definition of Young (Entry 8 of 8)

Whitney Moore 1921–1971 American civil rights leader

Other Words from young Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about young

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for young

Synonyms: Adjective

adolescent, immature, juvenile, youngish, youthful

Antonyms: Adjective

adult, grown-up, mature, matured

Examples of young in a Sentence

Adjective

He looks young for his age. A very nice young man greeted us at the door. Young people today have a lot of opportunities. He dreamed of being an artist when he was young. The movie isn't suitable for young viewers. He's still too young to buy alcohol legally. Our youngest daughter just started school. “When I was young,” the man said, “the world was a different place.” The season is still young.

Noun

music that appeals to the young The very young and the elderly are particularly sensitive to the disease. a robin feeding her young The young of a wolf are called pups.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Lawmakers recruit and hire their own staff, who can be much younger and beholden to their bosses for career advancement. — Karla Adam, Washington Post, "Five allegations of bullying and abuse at Westminster that shocked MPs," 13 July 2019 While Westbrook is younger and more explosive than Paul, his arrival represents a major philosophical test for the Rockets. — Ben Golliver, courant.com, "Rockets reunite Harden and Westbrook, trading old problems for new ones," 12 July 2019 My boyfriend is many years younger than me, and lots of people are questioning that and asking about it. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Heidi Klum Has Secretly Been Married for Several Months," 11 July 2019 Older populations are rising By 2100, almost one in four people will be 65 years old or older, while one in 20 will be younger than five. — Kelsey Nowakowski, National Geographic, "There are now more people over age 65 than under five—what that means," 11 July 2019 If young Chinese are welcome, say so America’s government has done little to explain its side. — The Economist, "Few things worry China’s elite more than getting their kids into Harvard," 11 July 2019 In another, deeply affecting scene, a neighbor family invites the two youngest children to stay for dinner. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, "In “The Unpassing,” an immigrant story set in Alaska explodes both American and Alaska myths," 11 July 2019 Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors/military/students, and $18 for youth 16 and younger. — Ramona Sentinel, "Patio Playhouse kicks off summer series," 11 July 2019 As early as 2009, sports and medical organizations began issuing position statements discouraging energy drink consumption by young people. — Sara Talpos, Quartz, "The dangers of energy drinks can be fatal—especially for teens," 10 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Maybe that’s a consequence of a parent dying young who’s been involved in public service and has only been involved in it in a way that’s pretty idealistic. — Becky Bohrer, The Seattle Times, "Democrat Begich turns to AK voters 1 more time in guv race," 22 Oct. 2018 Sawyer, my best friend’s kid—to help me figure out what the youngs are into these days. — Heather Hansman, Outside Online, "A 3-Year-Old Reviews Outdoorsy Kids' Books," 5 July 2018 Snapchat’s core business model and its claim on the fickle attention of addled, low-information consumers (read: the youngs) rests on enabling people to send impulsive, often vulgar missives that then disappear. — Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, "The Donald Trump of IPOs," 6 Feb. 2017 Unfortunately, the youngs were only able to complete one of those very important missions. — Peggy Truong, Cosmopolitan, "Kylie Jenner Doesn't Want You to Touch Her," 1 Apr. 2016 In the wild, males will sometimes kill the young of another male and replace them with his own. — Paul Nicklen, National Geographic, "6 Animals That Are Stellar Stepdads," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'young.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.