Definition of JUVENILE

juvenile

Meanings

Plural: juveniles

Noun

  • a young person, not fully developed
  • A prepubescent child.
  • A person younger than the age of majority; a minor.
  • A person younger than the age of full criminal responsibility, such that the person either cannot be held criminally liable or is subject to less severe forms of punishment.
  • A publication for young adult readers.
  • An actor playing a child's role.
  • A sexually immature animal.
  • A two-year-old racehorse.

Adjective

  • of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for children or young people
    • "juvenile diabetes"
    • "juvenile fashions"

Adjective Satellite

  • displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
    • "their behavior was juvenile"

Adj

  • Young; not fully developed.
  • Characteristic of youth or immaturity; childish.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iuvenīlis (“youthful; juvenile”), from iuvenis (“young; a youth”) + -īlis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to). Iuvenis is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yuh₁en- (“young”), from *h₂óyu (“long life; lifetime”) (from *h₂ey- (“age; life”)) + *h₁én (“in”).

Scrabble Score: 18

juvenile is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
juvenile is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
juvenile is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 24

juvenile is a valid Words With Friends word