Reading Theme:
Juvenile: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：youthful (juvenile)
juvenile
/ˈdʒuːvənaɪl/
adj.
used to describe things related to teenagers or young people, like their appearance, behavior, or things made for them.
youthful
➕
/ˈjuːθf(ə)l/
adj.
Describing something characteristic of, intended for, or relating to young people, typically in their teenage years.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 'juvenis' (young) + '-ilis' (pertaining to).
💡 Mnemonic
Think 'JUVenile' sounds like 'JUVenile' - full of youthful 'juve'nile (juvenile) energy.
📖 Example
The city's new community center has a special wing dedicated to juvenile development and art programs.
The city's new community center has a special wing dedicated to youthful development and art programs.
🔗 Collocations
juvenile literature – books written for young readers
juvenile behavior – actions typical of young people, often implying immaturity
juvenile stage – the early period in the life cycle of an organism
🔄 Synonyms
adolescent (adj.) – relating to the period following the onset of puberty
young (adj.) – having lived or existed for only a short time
teenage (adj.) – denoting a person aged between 13 and 19 years
🚫 Antonyms
🌱 Derivatives
juvenile (n.) – a young person
juvenilia (n.) – works produced by an author or artist in their youth
juvenility (n.) – the state or period of being young and immature
📖 Cultural Story
Directly from Latin 'iuvenilis', meaning 'youthful' or 'suitable for a young person'. It entered English in the early 17th century, retaining the core sense of relating to youth. The legal sense developed from the noun form 'juvenile', used to specify a young person under the age of majority.
Meaning 2：underage offender (juvenile)
juvenile
/ˈdʒuːvənaɪl/
adj.
in legal terms, a young person who has committed a crime.
underage offender
➕
/ˌʌndərˈeɪdʒ ˈɒfendər/
adj.
In a legal context, used to describe a young person who is not yet considered an adult and is involved in criminal proceedings.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The judge decided to send the juvenile to a rehabilitation program instead of a standard prison, focusing on education and counseling.
The judge decided to send the underage offender to a rehabilitation program instead of a standard prison, focusing on education and counseling.
🔗 Collocations
juvenile court – a court dealing with cases involving young offenders
juvenile delinquency – the habitual committing of criminal acts or offenses by a young person
juvenile offender – a young person who commits a crime
🔄 Synonyms
minor (n.) – a person under the age of legal majority
young offender (n.) – a young person who has broken the law
🚫 Antonyms
adult offender (n.) – a person who has reached the age of majority and committed a crime
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser