youth

noun, often attributive

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\ ˈyüth

plural youths\ ˈyüt͟hz

, ˈyüths

Definition of youth

1a : the time of life when one is young especially : the period between childhood and maturity

b : the early period of existence, growth, or development

2a : a young person especially : a young male between adolescence and maturity

b : young persons or creatures —usually plural in construction

3 : the quality or state of being youthful : youthfulness

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Examples of youth in a Sentence

She had a troubled youth. He spent his youth in the Midwest. He got into a lot of trouble in his youth. a generation trying to recapture lost youth when the industry was still in its youth Four youths are suspected of starting the fire.

Recent Examples on the Web The Exploring program, run by Boy Scouts of America affiliate Learning for Life, is aimed at youths interested mentorship and career development, including in law enforcement. — Ben Tobin, The Courier-Journal, "Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy. What it means for Louisville's troops," 18 Feb. 2020 Big City Mountaineers, Golden, CO This organization brings under-resourced youth in Denver, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and several east coast cities on backcountry mountaineering trips. — Jessica Mordo, Sunset Magazine, "Where the Wild Things Are: Programs That Foster Kids’ Connection to the Outdoors," 11 Feb. 2020 The evidence suggests that problematic drug use in adulthood is less likely if youth reach age-appropriate academic and social milestones. — Amanda Latimore, The Conversation, "The opioid crisis is a big issue in New Hampshire – 5 questions answered on what voters want the candidates to do," 11 Feb. 2020 Some of that potential is tangled up with youth in the lineup. — Skip Snow, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Dallas Stars at New York Rangers odds, picks and best bets," 3 Feb. 2020 One, called multisystemic therapy, involves a three to five-month program for at-risk children and adolescents, with 24/7 on-call therapists who work with youth in their home, school, and community. — Popular Science, "There isn’t much science supporting wilderness therapy for teens," 30 Jan. 2020 Dark energy, meanwhile, played a negligible role in the universe’s youth. — Quanta Magazine, "How Ancient Light Reveals the Universe’s Contents," 28 Jan. 2020 People did not want to see a story about a 10-year-old Hitler youth. — Stacey Wilson Hunt, Fortune, "Taika Waititi on Kiwi humor, directing as Hitler, and why kids should see ‘Jojo Rabbit’," 24 Jan. 2020 And at the end of the segment, the talk show host announced that Shutterfly made a $10,000 donation to The Trevor Project (a non-profit that provides resources to LGBTQ+ youth) on de Jager’s behalf. — Hanna Flanagan, PEOPLE.com, "YouTuber NikkieTutorials Gives First On-Air Interview Since Coming Out as Transgender," 22 Jan. 2020

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