Word

adolescent

noun C1

/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/

An adolescent is a young person who is developing from childhood into adulthood.

Meanings

noun

a young person who is developing from childhood into adulthood, often a teenager

adjective

relating to the stage of development between childhood and adulthood

Definition

An adolescent is someone in the period of life between childhood and adulthood, often associated with the teenage years. The word can refer to the person or, more generally, to the stage of development. It is commonly used in education, psychology, and everyday conversation to describe this transition.

Examples

As an adolescent, she began to question the assumptions she had accepted as a child.
The coach adapted his feedback because the adolescent athletes responded better to specific, practical goals.
He still keeps his adolescent sketchbooks, and the drawings reveal how quickly his interests changed.
They specialize in adolescent mental health, so their training focuses on communication and trust.
An adolescent audience tends to notice insincerity immediately, so the speaker chose a more direct tone.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse adolescent (a person or relating to that age) with adolescence (the life stage) and use the wrong form.