adolescent

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   in the state of development between puberty and maturity

   adolescent boys and girls

2. 2
   adj

   displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity

   adolescent insecurity

3. 3
   adj

   relating to or peculiar to or suggestive of an adolescent

   adolescent problems

4. 4
   adj

   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.

5. 5
   noun

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

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

6. 6
   adj

   being of the age 13 through 19

7. 7
   noun

   a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity

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.