adolescent

USAGE SUMMARY

"adolescent" is a correct word in written English.
It is an adjective that refers to adolescence, which is the age between childhood and adulthood, usually around 12-18 years old. Example Sentence: My adolescent son is testing his newfound freedom by going out with his friends on weekends.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This was not some "wave of adolescent paranoia," but a recognition of having been let down.

The Economist

Child and adolescent mental health referrals are accepted only if they have severe mental health difficulties; GPs are asked to manage the remaining patients, yet we are not trained in child psychiatry.

The Guardian

Renaud Jardri has seen many children with hallucinations in his clinical practice and also researches the area as part of his role as a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Lille University school of medicine.

The Guardian

As an adolescent, she was constantly thinking about them.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Over coffee one day, when she was about 75, she recounted the sad, sorry tale of her upbringing and how it had affected her – how she became a delinquent in her adolescent years and how badly she had treated her mother.

The Guardian - Arts

This had a lot to do with her painful shyness as an adolescent, the result of a complicated upbringing.

The Guardian - Arts

Gareth Crossman, executive director of policy, communications and fundraising, The Adolescent and Children's Trust (Tact): In terms of social care for looked-after children, on one level things remain largely unchanged.

The Guardian

Particularly worrying were records of recurrent concussion within three weeks, when guidelines advocate a three-week break after concussion, which is sensible for an adolescent brain.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The project wasn't as successful in its efforts to reach adolescent girls who weren't attending school.

The Guardian

From that, we can extrapolate that many adolescent girls are also iron deficient to the point of being anaemic; more so than adolescent boys, because of monthly blood loss due to menstruation.

The Guardian

But because we don't collect adequate data on adolescent girls globally, we don't know how widespread the problem is.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "adolescent" to describe a person, ensure it aligns with the context of age, development, or legal status, depending on the specific meaning you intend to convey. For instance, in a medical context, it might refer to physical development, whereas in legal context, it refers to legal age.

Common error

Avoid using "adolescent" interchangeably with "child". "Adolescent" specifically refers to the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, typically associated with puberty and the teenage years. While all adolescents are technically children legally, "child" is broader, encompassing infancy to pre-adolescence.

Linguistic Context

The word "adolescent" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe something related to adolescence. It can also be used as a noun, referring to a person undergoing adolescence. Ludwig AI's analysis confirms the word's correctness and broad applicability across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Unknown

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "adolescent" is a versatile term, functioning as both an adjective and a noun to describe aspects related to the period between childhood and adulthood. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's grammatically sound and widely used across various contexts, predominantly in news and media. While "adolescent" is frequently used, it is crucial to remember not to use it interchangeably with "child". Alternatives like "teenage" or "youthful" can offer nuanced meaning. Understanding its proper context ensures effective and precise communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

teenage

Emphasizes the age range of 13-19.

youthful

Highlights the characteristic of being young or immature.

juvenile

Focuses on legal or behavioral aspects related to young individuals.

pubescent

Specifically refers to the stage of puberty.

young

A general term for not being old; lacks the specific age connotation.

minor

Indicates a person under the legal age of majority.

underage

Specifically denotes being below a certain legal age.

bloom

Poetic word referring to the time of adolescence.

growing

Emphasizes the developmental phase.

developing

Highlights the ongoing process of maturation.

FAQs

How do I use "adolescent" in a sentence?

"Adolescent" can be used as an adjective to describe something related to adolescence, like "adolescent behavior", or as a noun referring to a person in their adolescence: "The study focused on adolescent health".

What can I say instead of "adolescent"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "teenage", "youthful", or "juvenile" to convey similar meanings.

Which is correct, "adolescent" or "adolescence"?

"Adolescent" is an adjective or a noun referring to a person, while "adolescence" is a noun referring to the period of development itself. For example: "adolescent years" versus "the period of adolescence".

What's the difference between "adolescent" and "teenager"?

"Adolescent" is a more formal term referring to the developmental stage, while "teenager" is a more common, informal term referring specifically to someone between the ages of 13 and 19. Also, adolescence can start before 13 and end after 19.