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
Moray eels and octopuses sometimes emerge from rocky crevices, while juvenile sharks may glide through the pool. — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026 Much of the novel is set in playgrounds and apartment courtyards, juvenile intervention meetings, and, finally, the Christian Korean summer camp to which Jeon-Gi’s parents send him in a final attempt at rehabilitation. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
Police won’t be raiding movie theaters or restaurants in search of juveniles, according to CMPD. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 Johnson was arrested on suspicion of murder as a juvenile, but never charged, according to police. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 11 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
  • Prince Harry was already set to be in Britain next month for an annual ceremony run by WellChild, a charity that cares for seriously ill children and young people in the UK.
    — Max Foster, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The tinted windows looked out onto the courts where Richardson trained some of the best young female players in the Rio Grande Valley, but the glass was one-way, and from outside, nothing that happened in the room was visible.
    — Molly Hensley-Clancy, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • James’s obsessive love, his unwillingness to go on without his beloved, is treated as childish, if not a version of sweaty insanity.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In just a few short weeks, his childish, naive world becomes brutally adult.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • Once dismissed as overly sweet, hyper-feminine, or adolescent, the best gourmand fragrances have since evolved.
    — Danielle James, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • If developmental science justifies treating adolescent offenders differently from adults, then that same science should also inform how Connecticut recognizes, protects, and supports adolescent victims.
    — Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • The 34-year-old gave birth there to all three kids, Levi, 5, Elijah, 3, and Rae, who turns 1 in September.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Just as many people can’t afford to have someone else clean their homes, landscape their yards or nanny their kids, those struggling to make ends meet may need to lean on AI assistance.
    — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 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
  • Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Bass, who finished about 5 points ahead of Raman in the June primary, sought to portray her challenger as an inexperienced outsider who would struggle to build support at City Hall.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • The strike in the town of Zawaida also wounded at least five other people, including a child, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which received the casualties.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Moore, a 47-year-old elementary school teacher, had spent most of his career teaching children around Summer’s age.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on juvenile

Nglish: Translation of juvenile for Spanish Speakers

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