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Definition of "adolescent" []

  • Of, relating to, or undergoing adolescence. See Synonyms at young. (adjective)
  • Characteristic of adolescence; immature: an adolescent sense of humor. (adjective)
  • A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity; a teenager. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "adolescent" in a sentence
  • "I agree with a lot of this, although I think it's complicated by the fact that the rise of the popular music industry was also fueled by an economic quirk: the post-WWII increase in adolescent disposable income."
  • "Think about it: industrialist builds wealth by building stuff; rich heirs drift leftward and, in adolescent fashion, rail against the industry that provided them with their affluence."
  • "Someone ought to do a study on how many times Americans have freaked out about a new trend in adolescent sexual habits."