1
as in young
being in the early stage of life, growth, or development
a juvenile alligator just hatched from its egg
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
throwing a tantrum is rather juvenile behavior for a person of your age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adolescent
lacking in adult experience or maturity
a spoiled, juvenile golfer who does not know how to win gracefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood
a medical study that followed juveniles through adolescence and into adulthood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of juvenile
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
Officials have chosen not to release particulars of the shooter’s movement through the school, surveillance video of the attack, records made by the shooter, some crime scene photos and records from juvenile victims’ phones, the agency wrote in a February letter.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Four others — Kymani Agbouti, 18, of Vallejo; Avante Washington, 18, of Antelope; and two juveniles from Oakland and Sacramento — were arrested April 20 in the killing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juvenile
Adjective
He’s gone into juvenile detention centers to help explain his story to kids who might be going through something unimaginable in their own lives.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
Officials have chosen not to release particulars of the shooter’s movement through the school, surveillance video of the attack, records made by the shooter, some crime scene photos and records from juvenile victims’ phones, the agency wrote in a February letter.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Noun
At a transfer hearing to be held in the weeks before the youth is 19, a judge will determine whether the juvenile will continue the sentence in a prison or be released from custody under parole supervision.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Four others — Kymani Agbouti, 18, of Vallejo; Avante Washington, 18, of Antelope; and two juveniles from Oakland and Sacramento — were arrested April 20 in the killing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for juvenile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for juvenile
Adjective
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And there was going to be an awful lot of emotional resonance and relatability with today’s generation of young women with Mary Bennet, more so than there would be [with Elizabeth Bennet.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
-
Men are more positive than women, and young people much more positive than their parents.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The literature on adolescence marks middle school as a turning point, a time when kids begin to pull away from their parents, discard childish pursuits, and pursue, full thrust, the exhausting project of individuation.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
That’s as childish an expression as the show ever shares.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For any adolescent, a private bedroom is both sanctuary and mood board.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Khan is associate program director for the child/adolescent psychiatry fellowship at University of California, Los Angeles.—
Sarah Mohiuddin,
STAT,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Take the case of Luca Reggiani, a kid from Modena, developed by Sassuolo, poached by Borussia Dortmund.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Vrabel also has two kids with his wife of 27 years.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Only this week, Conway doubled down with a stunt in front of Mfume’s district office, an act that would be immature and juvenile in an elementary school student government election, let alone a campaign for Congress.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
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Faced with the prospect of deciding between Urlacher, a late bloomer in high school who almost wasn’t recruited before becoming a college All-American, and Michigan State receiver Plaxico Burress, regarded throughout the NFL as gifted but immature, the Bears did not have to choose.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Maybe the bright lights of a win-or-go-home playoff game proved too big of a moment for a young, inexperienced Hawks team.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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Edmonton showed off its postseason poise in Game 5, throttling the Ducks in a 4-1 victory and putting the onus on their inexperienced opponents to finish off the series.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Though the arrest took place over three years ago, the case faced new scrutiny in March when TMZ published a video of the altercation, showing Paul yelling, putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing chairs at him while a child could be heard crying.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Juvenile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/juvenile. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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