teenage
TEE-nayj
Teenage (adj) means Between thirteen and nineteen years old, or relating to that age group. Example: “The youth club runs evening activities for teenage members of the village.”
adj
1
Between thirteen and nineteen years old, or relating to that age group.
"The youth club runs evening activities for teenage members of the village."
"Many teenage girls in my class are learning to code."
"It was a teenage girl with Cleopatraesque black hair; tight jeans and a tie dyed T-shirt cut off to show her stud-pierced navel."
— John Shirley, Her Hunger (2014)
"Her teenage son spends most weekends playing football."
"Fred's teenage years were the most difficult of times."
"Coristine is one of a team of teenage and twentysomething software engineers, apparently conscripted by Musk in his largely unchecked war against bureaucracy."
— Josie Ensor, Meet Elon Musk’s ‘baby-faced assassins’ leading Doge takeover (2025)
How to use teenage
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDescribes people, or things aimed at people, aged thirteen to nineteen.
Common pairings
teenage years
teenage son/daughter
teenage angst
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The youth club runs evening activities for _____ members of the village.
Etymology
Formed from "-teen" plus "age"; first recorded around 1921.
Class of 1921
teenage joined the language around 1921.
See the full Class of 1921 →
Synonyms
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Rhymes for teenage
See all rhymes for teenage →Frequently asked questions
What does “teenage” mean?
The word “teenage” means between thirteen and nineteen years old, or relating to that age group. In plain terms, describes people, or things aimed at people, aged thirteen to nineteen.
How do you pronounce “teenage”?
“Teenage” is pronounced TEE-nayj (/ˈtiːneɪd͡ʒ/ in IPA).
How do you use “teenage” in a sentence?
Here is “teenage” used in a sentence: “Her teenage son spends most weekends playing football.”
What part of speech is “teenage”?
“Teenage” is an adjective.
Where does the word “teenage” come from?
The word “teenage” dates back to around 1921. Formed from "-teen" plus "age"; first recorded around 1921.
Is “teenage” a common word?
“Teenage” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between teenage and teenaged?
"Teenage" and "teenaged" are both adjectives with the same meaning, describing someone between thirteen and nineteen. "Teenage" is the more common form in modern usage, while "teenaged" is an accepted but less frequent variant.
What is the difference between teenage and teenager?
"Teenage" is an adjective that describes a person or thing, as in "teenage years." "Teenager" is a noun naming the young person themselves, as in "she is a teenager."
What is the difference between teenage and adolescent?
"Teenage" refers strictly to the years from thirteen to nineteen. "Adolescent" describes the broader stage of development between childhood and adulthood, which can begin before thirteen and is defined more by physical and emotional change than by exact ages.
Is 'teenage' written as one word or hyphenated?
"Teenage" is written as a single, unhyphenated word. Forms like "teen-age" are outdated, so "teenage boy" is the standard modern spelling.
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