noun
adolescent
ad-uh-LEHS-uhnt
noun
1
A young person who is no longer a child but not yet fully an adult, typically a teenager.
"The clinic offers counselling designed specifically for adolescents."
"As an adolescent, she was painfully shy."
adj
1
Relating to the teenage years, or behaving in an immature, teenager-like way.
"The show captures adolescent awkwardness perfectly."
"His adolescent humour never really went away."
How to Use Adolescent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA teenager, or something typical of that age.
Word Forms
more adolescent comparative, adolescents plural, most adolescent superlative
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Etymology
From Latin adolescens, the present participle of adolescere ("to grow up"), from ad- ("toward") + alescere ("to be nourished, grow").