juvenile — relating to young people who are not yet adults; childish in a negative way
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: relating to young people who are not yet adults; childish in a negative way
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl/
Example Sentences
- The juvenile court sentenced him to community service instead of jail.
- My 40-year-old boss still makes juvenile fart jokes during meetings.
- The new juvenile justice reform aims to reduce recidivism among young offenders.
juvenile
ADJECTIVE[/ˈdʒuːvənaɪl/]
relating to young people who are not yet adults; childish in a negative way
The judge sent the juvenile offender to a counseling program instead of prison.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin juvenis, meaning 'young person' or 'youth'. The adjective suffix -ile, meaning 'relating to' or 'of the nature of', was added to create the meaning 'relating to youth' or 'of young people'. The word shares its root with rejuvenate, which means 'to make young again'.
Breakdown
juven- (young, from Latin juvenis) + -ile (relating to, having the quality of). The root juvenis connects to the Indo-European base for 'young', while -ile is a common Latin adjectival suffix forming relational adjectives.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The juvenile court sentenced him to community service instead of jail.”
“My 40-year-old boss still makes juvenile fart jokes during meetings.”
“The new juvenile justice reform aims to reduce recidivism among young offenders.”
“Fighting over the last slice of pizza? How juvenile of you two adults!”
“The social worker specializes in juvenile delinquency cases.”
📚Related Words
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