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 key theory is neoteny, where domestication selects for juvenile traits like kneading, making cats more tolerant of humans. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Marietta police ultimately arrested three teenagers, including one who was a runaway who was reunited with his family after the squatting incident but has now been arrested and faces juvenile charges. — Andre Butso, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
Noun
Denver police also accused the 14-year-old of being involved with a shooting about 15 minutes before the Sunnyside shooting, when the teen and two other juveniles shot a fourth juvenile near Park Avenue and East 20th Avenue. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 July 2026 An investigation into the shooting found a large group of young adults and juveniles attended a party at the park that was promoted on social media. — Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 15 July 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
  • Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
  • Hundreds of people, mostly young, gathered in Kyiv Thursday to protest Fedorov’s departure.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • The portrait of Musk that emerges here is that of a childish, terminally online man who desires to eliminate the messiness of contemporary life for a more rigid order.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • Their ideas about it were often steeped in stereotypes suggesting that Buddhists were irrational and childish in their thinking.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • Takeovers are at once a timeless illustration of the volatility of crowds—perhaps especially adolescent crowds—and of the much newer potentialities unleashed by the internet a few decades ago.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Another practice involved staff stuffing insects, herbs and different scents into the leaves of lettuce heads, offering the adolescent skunks another challenge that would put their developing foraging skills to the test.
    — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • For older kids who have trouble adjusting to the demands on the school year, plenty of time to wind down after school and a predictable morning routine are key.
    — Parents, Parents, 17 July 2026
  • That said, this probably won’t be even faintly legible on a home entertainment system, let alone the handheld gadgets that kids like the ones seen here prefer to watch entertainment on these days.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026
Definition of kid
Adjective
  • Edamame Edamame are young, immature soybeans harvested early.
    — Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026
  • The majority of the pest detections have been of immature life stages of the insect such as egg masses.
    — Lizzie Kane July 9, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • After striking up conversation about their individual side projects, Kern lent his app’s base server to an inexperienced Coffee.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • In Shipwrecked, crew members suggest that Schettino was a relatively new and inexperienced captain.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • The investigation is part of a broader crackdown on what’s known as birth tourism, the practice of traveling to another country, so a child is born there.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
  • Much has once again been made of that famous 2007 photoshoot in which Messi was pictured bathing a young child, which turned out to be Yamal.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 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 21 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of juvenile for Spanish Speakers

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