puberty

noun

pu·​ber·​ty ˈpyü-bər-tē 

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

As states across the country banned hormone treatment and puberty blockers for trans youth, some medical practices halted care — and pharmacies stopped providing prescriptions — before they were legally required to. —Orion Rummler, Them, 8 Jan. 2025

Most youth gender-affirming care is non-surgical, and can include counseling, hormone therapy, and puberty blockers. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025

Last month, the United Kingdom indefinitely banned new prescriptions of puberty blockers to treat minors for gender dysphoria. —Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025

In 2023, the governing body tightened its regulations on trans athletes to exclude transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in the female category. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

puberty

noun

pu·​ber·​ty pyü-bərt-ē 

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 

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