adolescence
noun
ad·o·les·cence
ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s 
1
: the period of life when a child develops into an adult : the period from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age of majority (see majority sense 2a)
He struggled through his adolescence.
2
: the state or process of growing up
3
: a stage of development (as of a language or culture) prior to maturity
Examples of adolescence in a Sentence
Their children are on the verge of adolescence.
He struggled through his adolescence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Perpetual adolescence seems to fit them like a glove.
—
Helen Holmes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Reuters, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Jha spent much of his childhood and adolescence coding games on a secondhand computer, star-gazing through a telescope on his school’s rooftop and reading the work of science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov.
—Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2025
Maturity has rounded the edges of what then seemed like a confining adolescence.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adolescence 
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Helen Holmes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Reuters, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Jha spent much of his childhood and adolescence coding games on a secondhand computer, star-gazing through a telescope on his school’s rooftop and reading the work of science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov.
—Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2025
Maturity has rounded the edges of what then seemed like a confining adolescence.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adolescence
Dictionary Entries Near adolescence
Cite this Entry
“Adolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adolescence. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adolescence
noun
ad·o·les·cence
ˌad-ᵊl-ˈes-ᵊn(t)s
: the state or process of growing up
also
: the period of life from puberty to maturity
adolescent
adjective or noun
-ᵊnt
Etymology
Middle English adolescence "adolescence," from early French adolescence (same meaning), from Latin adolescentia (same meaning), from adolescere "to grow up" — related to adult
Medical Definition
adolescence
noun
ad·o·les·cence
ˌad-ᵊl-ˈes-ᵊn(t)s
1
: the state or process of growing up
2
: the period of life from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age of majority
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