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View synonyms for adolescence

adolescence

[ ad-l-es-uhns ]

noun

  1. the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached; youth.
  2. the process or state of growing to maturity.
  3. a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity.


adolescence

/ ˌædəˈlɛsəns /

noun

  1. the period in human development that occurs between the beginning of puberty and adulthood


adolescence

/ ăd′l-ĕsəns /

  1. The period of physical and psychological development from puberty to the onset of adulthood.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of adolescence1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin adolēscentia, from adolēscent-, stem of adolēscēns “growing up” ( adolescent ) + -ia -ia ( def )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of adolescence1

C15: via Old French from Latin adolēscentia, from adolēscere to grow up, from alēscere to grow, from alēre to feed, nourish

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Example Sentences

Friends — who take on paramount importance during adolescence — are largely out of reach, accessible mostly by social media, which brings its own mix of satisfying and toxic elements.

So many of us have been where you are now, especially in an unimaginably fractured and stressful year, one that has made everything that’s already difficult about adolescence that much harder.

From Time

Violet, now on the cusp of adolescence, is framed in one of the windows, locking eyes with Blythe, the mother whose breakdown and banishment she orchestrated.

Compared to other marketing disciplines such as print and broadcast, we’re in our adolescence at best, which is actually an exciting place to be.

Her team’s new research now suggests what the ideal mix of activities and rest is during adolescence to build strong bones for your adult years.

Kids approaching adolescence get a brief discussion about confidentiality.

And that was the soul, very active in adolescence—like everything else.

It goes back with me not to childhood so much as to late adolescence.

The moral duties and doubts of adulthood are swapped out for the histrionic creeds of adolescence.

Across the globe, millions of boys and girls are betrothed so young they spend the majority of their adolescence already married.

But it seems to me that with adolescence comes the right to knowledge and the right of judgment.

Dim, forgotten perils of adolescence come to my mind, as a cloud obscures the summer sun.

Unfortunately, the characteristics of the spoiled child do not vanish with childhood or even with adolescence.

The generation which numbered Bryan Dalyrimple drifted out of adolescence to a mighty fan-fare of trumpets.

Usually in early adolescence it bursts its casings and shoots into consciousness, powerfully affecting the emotions and the will.

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A dog is a man's best friendadolescent