puberty

noun

pu·​ber·​ty ˈpyü-bər-tē How to pronounce puberty (audio)
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually that is brought on by the production of sex hormones and the maturing of the reproductive organs (such as the testes and ovaries), development of secondary sex characteristics (such as male facial hair growth and female breast development), and in humans and the higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls

Examples of puberty in a Sentence

He reached puberty later than most of his classmates.
Recent Examples on the Web Nine children – about 4% of the sample – expressed regret over puberty blockers or hormones, and four discontinued their therapy. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024 The age of puberty for girls has been falling for decades, especially among Black and Asian Americans. Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 19 Oct. 2024 The law bans health-care providers from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors or prescribing hormones or puberty blockers to minors. Kim Jarrett | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Oct. 2024 While her peers are still in the throes of puberty, she’s already gone through menopause. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for puberty 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puberty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English puberte, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French puberté, borrowed from Latin pūbertāt-, pūbertās "age of physical maturity, physical signs of puberty," from pūber-, pūbēs "physically mature, adult" (derivative from the base of pūbēs, genitive pūbis "adult population, age of puberty, pubic region, pubic hair") + -tāt-, -tās -ty — more at pubes

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of puberty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near puberty

Cite this Entry

“Puberty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puberty. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

puberty

noun
pu·​ber·​ty pyü-bərt-ē How to pronounce puberty (audio)
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually that is brought on by the production of sex hormones and the maturing of the sex organs (as the testes and ovaries) and is marked by the development of secondary sex characteristics (as male facial hair growth and female breast development) and by the occurrence of the first menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs often defined legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls

Medical Definition

puberty

noun
pu·​ber·​ty ˈpyü-bərt-ē How to pronounce puberty (audio)
plural puberties
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually marked by maturing of the genital organs, development of secondary sex characteristics, and in humans and the higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs being typically between 13 and 16 years in boys and 11 and 14 in girls and often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls

More from Merriam-Webster on puberty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!