Definition and pronunciation
teen /tiːn/ — noun: a teenager, a person aged roughly 13–19; adjective (attributive): relating to teenagers (teen fashion, teen audience).
Easy explanation
A teen is someone in the years that end with “-teen” (thirteen to nineteen). The word can also describe things for or about teenagers.
Grammatical formation
- Noun: a teen; plural: teens.
- Attributive adjective: teen magazines, teen health.
- Related forms: teenager (noun), teenage/teenaged (adjectives; teenage is more common), teeny-bopper/teenybopper (dated, pop-culture term).
- Time phrase: in one’s teens, early teens (13–15), mid-teens (15–17), late teens (17–19).
Meanings and nuances
- Age group 13–19.
- As a modifier for culture, products, or issues focused on adolescents (teen drama, teen employment).
- Legal nuance: many places classify those under 18 as minors; 18 or 19 may mark legal adulthood depending on jurisdiction.
With prepositions and variants
- in one’s teens: “She started coding in her teens.”
- into one’s teens: “The allergy persisted into his teens.”
- from one’s teens: “He’s played guitar from his teens.”
- for teens/teen audiences: “A workshop for teens.”
- among teens: “Popular among teens this year.”
Common collocations
teen years, teen life, teen culture, teen angst, teen spirit, teen idol, teen crush, teen drama, teen romance, teen pregnancy, teen mental health, teen slang, teen magazine, teen employment, teen driver, teen curfew, teen center, teen volunteer, teen safety online
Idioms and neighboring expressions
in one’s teens, teenage years, growing pains, coming of age, teen angst, teen idol, teen scene, teen mom (media term), youth culture, young adult (YA)
Word comparisons
- teen vs teenager: teen is slightly shorter and more informal; teenager is standard and neutral.
- teen vs youth: youth can mean a young person generally or the period of being young; sometimes male-coded in headlines.
- teen vs minor: minor is a legal status; many teens are minors, but 18–19-year-olds may be legal adults.
- teenage vs teenaged: both acceptable; teenage is overwhelmingly preferred in contemporary usage.
- teen vs young adult: “young adult” often refers to 18–25 or a publishing category (YA).
Real-life examples
- “The library hosts a coding club for teens.”
- “Teen mental-health resources expanded during exams.”
- “She began competing internationally in her late teens.”
Sample sentences
- “Teens today learn languages with apps and videos.”
- “He’s in his mid-teens and already volunteers at the shelter.”
- “That film targets a teen audience.”
- “She became a teen idol after the show.”
- “Drivers in their teens must follow stricter rules here.”
- “He spent his teens abroad.”
- “The clinic offers teen health counseling.”
- “Many teens prefer messaging to email.”
- “They met in their teens and stayed friends.”
- “The workshop is designed for teens aged 13–17.”
Synonyms
teenager, adolescent, youth, young person, minor (context-dependent), young adult (borderline/overlapping)
Antonyms
adult, grown-up, senior, child (pre-teen), toddler, infant
Related terms
adolescence, puberty, coming of age, minor, juvenile, youth culture, young adult, secondary school, high schooler, tween, mentorship, guardianship, parental consent
Connection to sexuality
“Teen” describes an age group; it is not a sexual term. Discussions about teens and sexuality focus on health, consent, and protection. Sexual content involving minors is harmful and illegal; this entry does not describe sexual behavior.
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