Meaning & use
juvenile
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to, intended for, or characteristic of young people who are not yet adults.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: juvenile crime, juvenile behavior.
Patterns
- juvenile + noun
The city opened a juvenile center for young people who get in trouble with the law.
His juvenile sense of humor makes him popular with kids but not with teachers.
The library has a juvenile section with picture books and easy readers.
adjectivenot comparabledisapproving
Immature or childish in a way that is not appropriate for an adult.
Grammar: Used to criticize adult behavior; not usually compared.
Stop being so juvenile and take the complaint seriously.
It was a juvenile prank that could have hurt someone.
nouncountable
A young person who is not yet legally an adult.
Grammar: Countable; often used in legal or official contexts.
Patterns
- a juvenile
- juveniles in custody
The court treats juveniles differently from adults.
Two juveniles were questioned about the vandalism.
Common combinations
- juvenile court
- His case was heard in juvenile court.
- juvenile delinquency
- The program aims to reduce juvenile delinquency.
- juvenile offender
- Juvenile offenders are often sent to special centers.
- juvenile behavior
- Her juvenile behavior embarrassed her colleagues.
Synonyms and how they differ
- youthful
- Youthful often suggests positive qualities like energy and freshness, while juvenile can be neutral or negative.
- childish
- Childish is always negative and means silly or immature, whereas juvenile can simply mean related to young people.
- adolescent
- Adolescent refers specifically to the teenage years, while juvenile covers anyone below legal adulthood.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: juvenile or juvenal?
juvenile vs juvenal
Juvenal is a rare word meaning 'young bird' or refers to the Roman poet; juvenile is the common word for young people.
Practice
The _____ court handles cases involving people under 18.
Choose one answer.
Juvenile is the standard adjective for things related to young people, especially in legal contexts. 'Juvenal' is a rare word for a young bird, 'juvenescent' means becoming young, and 'juicy' is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “juvenile”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.