juvenile
n. countablen. a young person who is not yet an adult in the eyes of the law. It can also mean a young animal that has not reached its full size.
n. a person who has not yet reached the age of majority; a minor. In a biological context, it refers to an individual organism that has not yet reached sexual maturity or adult form.
The court handles cases involving any juvenile who breaks the law.
The wildlife sanctuary provides a safe space for every rescued juvenile to grow before being released.
Legal systems often distinguish between a juvenile and an adult to ensure that rehabilitation remains the primary focus for younger offenders.
Borrowed from Latin iuvenīlis (“youthful; juvenile”), from iuvenis (“young; a youth”) + -īlis (suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to). Iuvenis is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂yuh₁en- (“young”), from h₂óyu (“long life; lifetime”) (from h₂ey- (“age; life”)) + h₁én (“in”).
Commonly used in legal, medical, or scientific contexts; in general conversation, 'teenager' or 'youth' is more frequent.