youth

noun

plural youths ˈyüt͟hz How to pronounce youth (audio) ˈyüths How to pronounce youth (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: the time of life when one is young
especially : the period between childhood and maturity
b
: the early period of existence, growth, or development
2
a
: a young person
especially : a young male between adolescence and maturity
b
: young persons or creatures
usually plural in construction
3
: the quality or state of being youthful : youthfulness

Examples of youth in a Sentence

She had a troubled youth. He spent his youth in the Midwest. He got into a lot of trouble in his youth. a generation trying to recapture lost youth when the industry was still in its youth Four youths are suspected of starting the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web Colin Farrell delivers a menacing monologue about a gangster from his youth in the new teaser for The Penguin, the upcoming show centered around the famous Batman villain. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 Morris has teamed up with the Ally Coalition to donate $1 from every ticket to LGBTQ+ organizations serving youth. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 Going to an association to support the families of trans youth helped allay his parents’ nerves around the health consequences of hormonal treatment. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024 One expert who works closely with youth says platforms have created and exacerbated a myriad of issues. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024 Trans representation in media in her youth was rare or merely comedic. Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024 When a nonprofit serving Los Angeles’ homeless and foster youth applied last year for a slice of billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s latest round of giving, the group hoped to get $1 million. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 That same week, the Prince of Wales, 41, showed his support for his wife during an outing to celebrate the opening the new youth zone WEST in Hammersmith, west London. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Over the weekend, White, Jr. traveled to Minnesota to impart his sister’s story with an equestrian program for BIPOC youth. Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 18 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'youth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English youthe, from Old English geoguth; akin to Old English geong young — more at young

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of youth was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Youth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/youth. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

youth

noun
plural youths ˈyüt͟hz How to pronounce youth (audio) ˈyüths How to pronounce youth (audio)
1
: the time of life when one is young
especially : the period between childhood and adulthood
2
a
: a young man
b
: young people
the youth of today
usually used with a plural verb
3
: the quality or state of being young

More from Merriam-Webster on youth

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