What does "adolescent" mean?
A person who is in adolescence; someone who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult.
Adolescent
/ˌædəˈlɛsənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who is in adolescence; someone who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult.
- Grammar: adolescent is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: teenager, adolescence, adolescent content, at half cock.
- Useful contrasts: adult, adult audience, adult content.
- Usage evidence: Education about birth control might help cut down on adolescent pregnancies.
How to use "adolescent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "adolescent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "adolescent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "adolescent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "adolescent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "adolescent" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "teenager" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "adolescent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who is in adolescence; someone who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult.
"Besides, there are a great many of these accusers, and they have been accusing me now for a great many years; and what is more, they approached you at the most impressionable age, when some of you were children or adolescents; and they literally won their case by default, because there was no one to defend me."
- 2 a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of, relating to, or at the age of adolescence; at the stage between being a child and an adult.
"Schools, unless discipline were doubly strong, / Detain their adolescent charge too long."
Adjective
- 1 in the state of development between puberty and maturity wordnet
- 2 displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity wordnet
- 3 being of the age 13 through 19 wordnet
- 4 relating to or peculiar to or suggestive of an adolescent wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Education about birth control might help cut down on adolescent pregnancies."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "adolescent"?
Common synonyms include: teenager, adolescence, adolescent content, at half cock, baby, boyish.
How do you use "adolescent" in a sentence?
Education about birth control might help cut down on adolescent pregnancies.
How do you pronounce "adolescent"?
Pronounced /ˌædəˈlɛsənt/.
Etymology
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.