often attributive
1
a
: the time of life when one is young
especially
: the period between childhood and maturity
b
: the early period of existence, growth, or development
2
a
: 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
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
Beginning in their teen years, youth labor force participation rates are at all-time lows.
—
Brandon Busteed, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Used primarily as an office building, its ornate design, carvings and sculptures — including a ground floor fountain with frolicking bronze youths — hadn’t invited much public attention or appreciation.
—Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
And as the official sporting goods retailer provider for Team USA, Dick’s also plans to further support youth sports and expand access to play.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 Jan. 2026
At the Santa Ana deployment site, volunteers logged at least 665 responses Tuesday morning after about four hours of canvassing, including 69 from seniors, 18 from veterans and 16 from youths.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for youth
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.
Brandon Busteed, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Used primarily as an office building, its ornate design, carvings and sculptures — including a ground floor fountain with frolicking bronze youths — hadn’t invited much public attention or appreciation.
—Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
And as the official sporting goods retailer provider for Team USA, Dick’s also plans to further support youth sports and expand access to play.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 Jan. 2026
At the Santa Ana deployment site, volunteers logged at least 665 responses Tuesday morning after about four hours of canvassing, including 69 from seniors, 18 from veterans and 16 from youths.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for youth
Cite this Entry
“Youth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/youth. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
