## Meanings
1. A young person who is no longer a child but not yet an adult; a teenager.
2. Relating to the years between childhood and adulthood.
3. Showing a childish lack of maturity.

## Examples
- As an adolescent, he spent most of his free time playing football.
- Many adolescent friendships last a lifetime.
- His adolescent jokes were not welcome in a serious meeting.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂el- (grow)
- Root: adolescent
- Root: adolescentem

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Adolescent is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *h₂el- (grow) (Proto-Indo-European), adolescent (Middle English), and adolescentem (Latin). Current senses include a young person who is no longer a child but not yet an adult; a teenager, relating to the years between childhood and adulthood, and showing a childish lack of maturity.

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- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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