# the young

grammar point · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/the-young
Updated: 2026-07-27

## Meaning

Young people considered as a group. Another "the" + adjective phrase for a whole class of people; it takes a plural verb: "The young are…". Its opposite is "the old".

## Examples

- The young often learn new technology quickly.
- The festival was aimed at the young, with music and stalls that older visitors mostly walked straight past.
- Every generation complains that the young no longer respect tradition, forgetting that it once heard exactly the same complaint about itself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.