young

1 of 2

adjective

younger ˈyəŋ-gər How to pronounce young (audio) ; youngest ˈyəŋ-gəst How to pronounce young (audio)
1
a
: being in the first or an early stage of life, growth, or development
c
: of an early, tender, or desirable age for use as food or drink
fresh young lamb
a young wine
2
: having little experience
3
a
: recently come into being : new
a young publishing company
4
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of youth or a young person
young at heart
5
capitalized : representing a new or rejuvenated especially political group or movement
youngish adjective
youngness noun

young

2 of 2

noun

plural young
1
plural
a
: young persons : youth
b
: immature offspring
used especially of animals
2
: a single recently born or hatched animal
Phrases
with young
of a female animal

Examples of young in a Sentence

Adjective He looks young for his age. A very nice young man greeted us at the door. Young people today have a lot of opportunities. He dreamed of being an artist when he was young. The movie isn't suitable for young viewers. He's still too young to buy alcohol legally. Our youngest daughter just started school. When I was young,” the man said, “the world was a different place.” The season is still young. Noun music that appeals to the young The very young and the elderly are particularly sensitive to the disease. a robin feeding her young The young of a wolf are called pups.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
And if there was damage on younger roofs, insurers were willing to accept a repair instead of a full replacement, Metcalf said. Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024 Ernst, who lives in Middleton, Wis., is the author of 20 historical novels and mysteries for young readers from American Girl, 11 books in the Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites mysteries, and nonfiction history and poetry. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
Being thrust into fame young can be difficult to begin with, and with secrets like these ones piling up, the exposure would be even more terrifying. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024 That means orphaning of dependent young by the thousands. Thomas Pool, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for young 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English yong, from Old English geong; akin to Old High German jung young, Latin juvenis

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of young was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near young

Cite this Entry

“Young.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/young. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

young

1 of 2 adjective
younger ˈyəŋ-gər How to pronounce young (audio) ; youngest ˈyəŋ-gəst How to pronounce young (audio)
1
a
: being in the early stage of life, growth, or development
2
: lacking in experience
3
: recently come into being : new
young rock strata
4
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of youth or a young person
young at heart
youngness noun

young

2 of 2 plural noun
1
: young persons : youth
music that appeals to the young
2
: immature or recently born offspring
a bear and her young

Medical Definition

young

noun
plural young
1
: immature offspring
used especially of animals
2
: a single recently born or hatched animal

Biographical Definition

Young 1 of 6

biographical name (1)

Andrew Jackson, Jr. 1932–     U.S. ambassador to U.N. (1977–79)

Young

2 of 6

biographical name (2)

Brig*ham ˈbri-gəm How to pronounce Young (audio) 1801–1877 American Mormon leader

Young

3 of 6

biographical name (3)

Cy originally Denton True Young 1867–1955 American baseball player

Young

4 of 6

biographical name (4)

Michael W(arren) 1949–     American geneticist

Young

5 of 6

biographical name (5)

Owen D. 1874–1962 American lawyer

Young

6 of 6

biographical name (6)

Whitney Moore 1921–1971 American civil rights leader

More from Merriam-Webster on young

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!