adolescent

adolescent
\ \ [15] The original notion lying behind both adolescent and adult is of ‘nourishment’. The Latin verb alere meant ‘nourish’ (alimentary and alimony come from it, and it is related to old). A derivative of this, denoting the beginning of an action, was alēscerebe nourished’, hence ‘grow’. The addition of the prefix ad- produced adolēscere.
\ \ Its present participial stem, adolēscent- ‘growing’, passed into English as the noun adolescenta youth’ (the adjective appears not to have occurred before the end of the 18th century). Its past participle, adultusgrown’, was adopted into English as adult in the 16th century.
\ \ Cf.eitb COALITION, PROLETARIAN, PROLIFIC

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • adolescent — adolescent, ente [ adɔlesɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] n. • 1327; lat. adolescens, de adolescere « grandir » ♦ Jeune garçon, jeune fille à l âge de l adolescence. ⇒ éphèbe, jouvenceau , teenager. « L adolescent est l être qui blâme, qui s indigne, qui méprise »… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • adolescent — ADOLESCÉNT, Ă, adolescenţi, te, s.m. şi f. Persoană care este la vârsta adolescenţei. – Din fr. adolescent, lat. adolescens, ntis. Trimis de ana zecheru, 12.08.2002. Sursa: DEX 98  ADOLESCÉNT s. tânăr. (Un adolescent simpatic.) Trimis de siveco …   Dicționar Român

  • adolescent — adolescent, ente (a do lè ssan, ssan t ) s. m. et f. 1°   Celui, celle qui est dans l âge de l adolescence. 2°   Se dit surtout des garçons, et alors souvent en plaisantant. Un jeune adolescent. •   L essai et l apprentissage d un jeune… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • adolescent — ADOLESCENT, ENTE. s. Jeune personne de l un ou de l autre sexe. Il ne se dit guère qu en plaisantant. Un jeune adolescent. Il s emploie quelquefois adjectivement. Un jeune homme encore adolescent. L amour adolescent. On dit aussi figurément. Une… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Adolescent — Ad o*les cent ([a^]d [ o]*l[e^]s sent), a. [L. adolescens, p. pr. of adolescere to grow up to; ad + the inchoative olescere to grow: cf. F. adolescent. See {Adult}.] Growing; advancing from childhood to maturity. [1913 Webster] Schools, unless… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • adolescent — adolèscent (adolescȅnt) m <G mn nātā> DEFINICIJA 1. onaj koji se nalazi u razdoblju adolescencije 2. pren. onaj koji je nezreo; neozbiljan, zaigran ETIMOLOGIJA vidi adolescencija …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • adolescent — [adj] preadult or immature boyish, girlish, growing, juvenile, pubescent, puerile, teen, teenage, young, youthful; concepts 401,578,797 Ant. adult, infant adolescent [n] person in puberty, preadulthood juvenile, minor, stripling, sweet sixteen*,… …   New thesaurus

  • adolescent — Adolescent, ou Adolescente, Adolescens, com. gen. Petit adolescent, Adolescentulus. Petite et jeune adolescente, Adolescentula …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • adolescent — Adolescent. s. m. Jeune garçon. Il ne se dit guere qu en raillerie. Un jeune adolescent …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • adolescent — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ in the process of developing from a child into an adult. ► NOUN ▪ an adolescent boy or girl. DERIVATIVES adolescence noun. ORIGIN from Latin adolescere come to maturity …   English terms dictionary

  • Adolescent — Ad o*les cent, n. A youth. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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