youth

noun

plural youths ˈyüt͟hz How to pronounce youth (audio) ˈyüths How to pronounce youth (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: the time of life when one is young
especially : the period between childhood and maturity
b
: the early period of existence, growth, or development
2
a
: a young person
especially : a young male between adolescence and maturity
b
: young persons or creatures
usually plural in construction
3
: the quality or state of being youthful : youthfulness

Examples of youth in a Sentence

She had a troubled youth. He spent his youth in the Midwest. He got into a lot of trouble in his youth. a generation trying to recapture lost youth when the industry was still in its youth Four youths are suspected of starting the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Before switching allegiance a final time, Zendejas played for first the U.S. and then Mexico at youth level, where paperwork irregularities caused by his failure to file a one-time switch led to the Mexican federation being hit with FIFA fines and forced to forfeit five games. The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 The 1,400-acre school had several names throughout its history but maintained its purpose as a place for criminal youth. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2024 Since then, the club has held about 150 concerts and become a permanent playground for Kharkiv's seasoned musicians and local indie bands, as well as hosting open mics for Kharkiv youth, and movie nights. Katya Soldak, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 About Student of the Week High school students are nominated for Student of the Week by principals, teachers, youth organizations and others who work with teens. Rebecca Loroff, Journal Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for youth 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English youthe, from Old English geoguth; akin to Old English geong young — more at young

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of youth was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Youth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/youth. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

youth

noun
plural youths ˈyüt͟hz How to pronounce youth (audio) ˈyüths How to pronounce youth (audio)
1
: the time of life when one is young
especially : the period between childhood and adulthood
2
a
: a young man
b
: young people
the youth of today
usually used with a plural verb
3
: the quality or state of being young

More from Merriam-Webster on youth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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