juvenile 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjü-və-ˌnī(-ə)l How to pronounce juvenile (audio)
Definition of juvenilenext
1
as in young
being in the early stage of life, growth, or development a juvenile alligator just hatched from its egg

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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

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3
as in adolescent
lacking in adult experience or maturity a spoiled, juvenile golfer who does not know how to win gracefully

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juvenile

2 of 2

noun

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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of juvenile
Adjective
One is a 170-page bill that significantly changes juvenile justice procedures, mandates the amount of time served until someone becomes eligible for parole and allows counties to raise a 1% sales tax to fund a juvenile detention center. — Jack Harvel august 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 The teen was booked into juvenile detention after detectives screened two counts of first-degree murder with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, police said. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
Brown is the only one charged with first-degree employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime. — Stephanie Ballesteros, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 According to a message that school officials sent to parents, the juveniles may have been trespassing on the campus. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for juvenile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for juvenile
  1. young
  2. childish
  3. adolescent
  4. kid
  5. immature
  6. inexperienced
  7. child
Adjective
  • Upbringing and early career Lily-Rose Depp and her younger brother, Jack, attended school in the United States growing up but also spent significant time in France.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • He was tasked with holding the movie’s most complex, morally challenging ideas, as a young boy running from trauma and left to decide between danger and redemption.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • There is a playful feeling to many PATTARAPHAN pieces, but this is not childish work.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • And also settling a very childish dispute between the airport and the contractors.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • But the increasing role of private equity firms is also driving up costs, with adolescent athletes looking at pricier options outside of rec leagues at younger and younger ages.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The National Institutes of Health found a 121% increase in adolescent overdose deaths between 2010 and 2021, a sobering reminder of the impact on schools.
    — Nathalia Fernandez, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • Davis, his wife and kids painted the picture of a family that had deep, meaningful connections to the heartbeat of this burgeoning southern metropolis in NASCAR country that, like so many cities, places its sports stars on a pedestal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • My kids loved Sakura, which takes a similarly hopscotching approach to Asia, mixing together Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian on its menu.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kid
Adjective
  • There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The acclaimed writer Rachel Cusk’s controversial new novel Life of M is an intimate, unvarnished character study of an A-list movie star who is depicted as hollow, immature and cynical, an intellectual poseur and an artist wannabe.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • The Holbrook sisters are undersocialized and inexperienced with the world, and Herzog sees them as figures out of a fable, dreamers who talk incessantly about love and seem connected to the elemental and the ancient.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When someone with 20 years of expertise is willing to look inexperienced for 20 minutes, everyone else gets permission to learn.
    — Pankaj Prasoon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • In total, the support is equal to almost 70,000 Singapore dollars ($55,000) by the time a child is 17.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, settled a lawsuit over the harms of social media to children brought by California and other states.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of child

Phrases Containing juvenile

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juvenescent
juvenile
juvenile delinquent
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Cite this Entry

“Juvenile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/juvenile. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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