ENGLISH
REFERENCE

teens

n.
US //ˈtinz// UK //tˈiːnz// teens
  1. 1 people aged 13 to 19 (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    young people who are between 13 and 19 years old.

    plural form of 'teen', referring to individuals in the adolescent stage of development.

    Example

    The shop is very popular with local teens who come here after school.

    Example

    Market researchers are increasingly focused on how teens influence household spending through their social media presence.
  2. 2 the age range (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the period of your life when you are between 13 and 19 years old.

    the years of human life spanning from the thirteenth to the nineteenth year.

    Example

    She spent most of her teens living in a small town in the mountains.

    Example

    Navigating one's teens can be a turbulent experience as social pressures and biological changes coincide.
  3. 3 numbers 13 to 19 (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Math

    the numbers that end in '-teen', from 13 to 19.

    the cardinal numbers within the range of thirteen to nineteen inclusive.

    Example

    The temperature is expected to stay in the high teens all week.

    Example

    The survey results showed that support for the new policy was only in the low teens among the older demographic.

  4. 4 the second decade of a century (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the years from '13 to '19 in any century, like 1913 to 1919.

    the years from thirteen to nineteen within a specific century.

    Example

    Many famous poems were written during the teens of the twentieth century.

    Example

    Economic instability during the late teens of the nineteenth century led to significant social unrest across the continent.
    • the tens
Origin

The final syllable of the numbers from thirteen to nineteen. More at teen.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 19, 2026