Teenager Definition, Examples & Usage Guide

Meaning 1：adolescent (teenager)

teenager 🔊

/ˈtiːnˌeɪdʒɚ/

A person between 13 and 19 years old, no longer a child but not yet an adult, often going through puberty and developing independence.

Teenager group laughing together in a modern cafe

adolescent 🔊

➕

/ˌædəˈlesənt/

A person in the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood, typically aged 13 to 19, undergoing physical, emotional, and social changes.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From '-teen' (13-19) + 'age' + '-er'; 'person of teenage years'.

💡 Mnemonic

A teen with an age is a teenager: teen + age + er.

📖 Example

My younger brother is a teenager who loves spending time in his room, listening to music and playing video games. 🔊 My younger brother is a teenager who loves spending time in his room, listening to music and playing video games.

🔗 Collocations

rebellious teenager – a teenager who frequently disobeys parents or rules

typical teenager – a teenager displaying common adolescent behavior

teenager years – the period of life when one is a teenager

🔄 Synonyms

adolescent (n.) – a young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult

youth (n.) – a young person, especially in the late teens

teen (n.) – informal term for a teenager

🚫 Antonyms

adult (n.) – a fully grown person

child (n.) – a young person below the age of puberty

🌱 Derivatives

teenage (adj.) – relating to teenagers

teen (n.) – a teenager (informal)

teenaged (adj.) – aged between 13 and 19

📖 Cultural Story

"Teenager" first appeared in the 1920s with the rise of youth culture and high school attendance, popularized by marketers.