1
as in young
being in the early stage of life, growth, or development
a juvenile alligator just hatched from its egg
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
throwing a tantrum is rather juvenile behavior for a person of your age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adolescent
lacking in adult experience or maturity
a spoiled, juvenile golfer who does not know how to win gracefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood
a medical study that followed juveniles through adolescence and into adulthood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of juvenile
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
That early scene, at first, seems typical of two young male friends asserting their masculinity in a juvenile manner.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2026
Rhode Island is among 23 states that has no minimum age for juveniles to be tried in adult court, according to the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juvenile
Adjective
Apparently, the Meyers in Long Beach were ruled unfit as guardians, or Lynn refused to go back to them, so juvenile authorities located some blood relatives, possibly her father or half sister, and put her on a train back East.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
That early scene, at first, seems typical of two young male friends asserting their masculinity in a juvenile manner.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
The investigation revealed that Reyes, who was 18 years old at the time, allegedly contacted juveniles through social media and solicited nude photographs and videos.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2026
Rhode Island is among 23 states that has no minimum age for juveniles to be tried in adult court, according to the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
—Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juvenile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for juvenile
Adjective
-
On the medal, the Virgil inscription surrounds a young man sitting under a laurel tree, listening to the Muse, and writing down her song.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Once in college, barriers to gaining meaningful work experience persist for young people.—
Brandon Busteed,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Maybe this is just appealing to my simplest, most childish instincts, reacting to bright colours like a toddler might.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
When Smith drives us in the golf cart, hunched close to the wheel, a look of childish mischief spreads over his face.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
An adolescent, Romito 2, was laid to rest in the arms of Romito 1, believed to be an adult female.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
-
When the proportion of benefit to burden for a patient is uncertain, parents should be supported, along with the child or adolescent, to make a decision that best aligns with their values and assessment.—
Amy Caruso Brown,
STAT,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But the dead kid’s eyes held her to the corner of 110th.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike older drugs, this formula safely accounts for a baby’s immature metabolism.—
Kwesi Akonu Adom Mensah Forson,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This is really a way to tell the story from a much more immature point of view.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Older, more experienced players — like Indiana’s fleet of 24-year olds — are usually better than younger, inexperienced ones, especially in this age of the transfer portal.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Tech Hamiltonians and Silicon Valley enthusiasts are often inexperienced in the ways of government and unaccustomed to the compromise and diplomacy that successful policy implementation often requires.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to Kendall Seymour, the father of three of the children, the family did not realize the kids were missing until days after they had already been taken overseas.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These and other groceries would be distributed to families who’d been too afraid to send their children to school in the weeks since an influx of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement began operations in the city, in December.—
Emily Witt,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Juvenile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/juvenile. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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