young

Q: Is it correct to say "The youngs are the future."?

No — say "The young are the future.". When using 'young' as a noun to refer to a group of people, it is an uncountable collective noun and does not take an 's'.

Definition

adj. having lived or existed for only a short time. You use this to describe people, animals, or things that are not old yet.

adj. being in an early stage of life, growth, or development. Often used to describe the initial phase of a biological or geological process.

simple

“The young girl is learning to ride a bike.”

contextual

“The shelter is looking for families willing to adopt young kittens that need extra care.”

complex

“In geological terms, these mountains are relatively young, having been formed by tectonic activity only a few million years ago compared to the ancient cratons nearby.”

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “young” in context.

01. young male

Typically placed before the noun it modifies or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

The youngs are the future.

The young are the future.

When using 'young' as a noun to refer to a group of people, it is an uncountable collective noun and does not take an 's'.

* As an English, Scottish, and northern Irish surname, from the adjective young, used to distinguish a younger brother or son. This sense is comparable to the surnames le Yunge, German Jong and Junk, Dutch Jong and de Jongh, French Lejeune and LaJeunesse, assimilated from Dion and Guyon. * As a Chinese surname, from the following: ** Cantonese 楊 /杨 (joeng⁴). Doublet of Yeung. ** Hokkien 楊 /杨 (iông / iâng). Doublet of Yu, Yeo, Yeoh. ** Mandarin 楊 /杨 (yáng). Doublet of Yang.

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

active brood Child childish immature inexperienced junior Time youth