youth
n. C / Un. the time of life when you are young, especially the period between being a child and a full adult. It can also refer to young people as a group.
n. the period between childhood and maturity; the state or quality of being young. Also functions as a collective noun referring to young people as a group.
He spent most of his youth traveling around Europe.
The local community center offers various programs designed to support the city's youth and keep them engaged after school.
The poet reflects on the fleeting nature of youth, contrasting the boundless energy of his early years with the quiet wisdom gained through decades of experience.
From Middle English youthe, youghte, ȝouþe, from Old English ġeoguþ (“the state of being young; youth”), from Proto-West Germanic juwunþa, from Proto-Germanic jugunþō, *jugunþiz (“youth”), corresponding to young + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Juugd, West Frisian jeugd, Dutch jeugd, German Low German Jöögd, German Jugend.
Uncountable when referring to the state or period of being young; countable when referring to a young man; collective when referring to young people in general.
The youths is the future.The youth are the future.When used as a collective noun for young people, 'youth' is followed by a plural verb.