adolescence: Meaning and Definition of

ad•o•les•cence

Pronunciation: (ad"l-es'uns), [key]
— n.
  1. the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached; youth.
  2. the process or state of growing to maturity.
  3. a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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