adolescere

Adolescere is a Latin verb meaning to grow up, to mature, or to come to adulthood. It describes the process of aging from youth toward full maturity, including physical development and the attainment of adult responsibilities. In classical Latin, it is used to express coming of age and can also be employed figuratively to denote the ripening of character or judgment.

Etymology and related forms: The word is formed from ad- meaning toward and olescere meaning to grow, with the sense of progressing toward a more mature state. The present participle form adolescens, and the noun adulescens (a youth), are closely related and often used in Latin to refer to a person who is growing up. The concept gave rise to modern terms such as adolescence and adolescent in English, and corresponding terms in Romance languages (adolescencia in Spanish, adolescence in French, adolescenza in Italian, adolescência in Portuguese).

Usage and context: In Latin literature, adulescens and adolescens commonly designate a young man who has not yet reached full maturity. The verb adolescents is associated with progression toward adulthood and can carry connotations of maturation in judgment and behavior, not solely age. The lexical family—adolescere, adulescens, adolescence—also informs later European languages and the cultural notion of the transition from youth to adulthood.

See also: Latin grammar and morphology related to adolescence; related terms such as adulescens, adolescentia or adolescence in various languages; cognate roots in Romance languages.

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