preadolescence

noun

pre·​ad·​o·​les·​cence ˌprē-ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce preadolescence (audio)
: the period of human development just preceding adolescence
specifically : the period between the approximate ages of 9 and 12
preadolescent adjective or noun

Examples of preadolescence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Like his early childhood in Omaha, Nebraska; his troubled preadolescence in Lansing, Michigan; and his immersion in street-corner politics in 1950s Harlem, Malcolm’s coming-of-age in Boston shaped his radicalism as profoundly as the Nation of Islam and his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca did. Kerri Greenidge, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2020 Yet there’s no better example of the genius of Big Mouth—a comedy that nails the sophomoric physical humor of preadolescence but whose hilarious portrait of puberty is really a mirror held up to adult sexuality—more than what follows. Judy Berman, Time, 4 Oct. 2019 Instead, the rats concerned acted normally until given their preadolescence doses of THC. The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preadolescence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preadolescence was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near preadolescence

Cite this Entry

“Preadolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preadolescence. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

preadolescence

noun
pre·​ad·​o·​les·​cence -ˌad-ᵊl-ˈes-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce preadolescence (audio)
: the period of human development just preceding adolescence
specifically : the period between the approximate ages of 9 and 12

More from Merriam-Webster on preadolescence

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