adj / n · academic
adolescent
/ˌædəˈlɛsənt/a·do·LES·cent
Relating to the period of growing from a child into an adult; a young person in their teenage years.
Examples
“The study looked at adolescent mental health in urban schools.”
“Many adolescent behaviours are influenced by peers.”
“Adolescents need clear information about sexual health.”
Band 8 sentence
“Recent longitudinal studies indicate that adolescent brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, continues into the mid-twenties.”
Collocations
- adolescent mental health
- adolescent behaviour
Word family
Common mistakes
use 'adolescence' when you need an adjective→use 'adolescent' as an adjective (adolescent mental health)
write 'an adolescent' for a programme name→use 'adolescent' (adjective) not the noun (e.g. adolescent health programme)
Say it for a higher band
5teenager→6young person→7+adolescent
Synonyms
teenager
young person
Easily confused
teenager
“Many teenagers prefer to use social media to keep in touch with friends.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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