adolescent

1 of 2

noun

ad·​o·​les·​cent ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt 

: a young person who is developing into an adult : one who is in the state of adolescence

adolescent

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or being in adolescence

adolescent growth

adolescent boys and girls

2

: emotionally or intellectually immature

did not appreciate her husband's adolescent high jinks

adolescently adverb

Synonyms

Adjective

• immature
• juvenile
• young
• youngish
• youthful

Examples of adolescent in a Sentence

Noun

Their children are now adolescents.

Adjective

an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together

would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

First, governments could consider warning labels for ultra-processed and red meat products and restrict marketing junk food to children and adolescents. —Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025

The collectives are able to pull adolescents into their orbit by first establishing contact on public platforms, according to an April report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s national police force. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025

Adjective

Starring Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney as the sparring, intellectual parents to two adolescent sons (Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline), The Squid and the Whale responds to some of Baumbach’s own experiences as a product of divorce in the 1980s. —Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

One of the main jobs of the adolescent human is to pull away from their parents in preparation for adulthood. —Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin adolēscent-, adolēscens "young man or woman, youth," noun derivative of adolēscens adolescent entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin adolēscent-, adolēscens, adulēscens "young, youthful," present participle of adolēscere, adulēscere "to become mature, grow up" — more at adult entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing adolescent

• sub-adolescent

Rhymes for adolescent

• acquiescent
• arborescent
• coalescent
• convalescent
• deliquescent
• effervescent
• evanescent
• incandescent
• iridescent
• luminescent
• obsolescent
• opalescent

Medical Definition

adolescent

1 of 2 noun

ad·​o·​les·​cent -ᵊnt 

: one that is in the state of adolescence

adolescent

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or being in adolescence

adolescently adverb