Added 9 October 2026
adolescent
/ˌæd.əˈlɛs.ənt/ adjective
In Latin: adulēscēns First recorded: 1440 Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about adolescent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
- A person who is in adolescence; someone who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult.
Origin
First attested ?1440, from Middle English adolescent, from Middle French adolescent or directly from Latin adolescentem, accusative form of adolescens, present participle of adolēscere (“to become adult, grow up”), from ad- (“to”) + alēscere (“to grow or become nourished”). The adjective first appeared in 1785.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)