adolescent

CEFRC1

/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A young person between childhood and adulthood.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Relating to a young person between childhood and adulthood.

Examples

  • Education about birth control might help cut down on adolescent pregnancies.

  • It is said that adolescent friendships do not often last.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /əˈɖoː.le.senʈ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A person who is in adolescence; someone who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Of, relating to, or at the age of adolescence; at the stage between being a child and an adult.

More examples

In context

  • Schools, unless discipline were doubly strong, / Detain their adolescent charge too long.

  • Again, voice change is not easy and vulnerability plays a big part, but if choral teachers and adolescent singers approach it with the right mindframe, the experience can be empowering, enlightening, and restorative for all involved.

  • It may be wartime, but Miss Adolescent wants her fun!

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank nervously asked for advice about her first date.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

First attested ?1440, from Middle English adolescent, from Middle French adolescent or directly from Latin adolescentem, accusative form of adolescens, present participle of adolēscere (“to become adult, grow up”), from ad- (“to”) + alēscere (“to grow or become nourished”). The adjective first appeared in 1785.