juvenile

Juvenile is a term used to describe a young person or animal that has not yet reached full growth or maturity. In everyday use, it often refers to someone who is not legally an adult, though the exact age range depends on the country and context. The word also appears in biological and zoological contexts to denote an organism that is not yet fully grown.

In legal systems, juvenile can designate a person under a specified age who is subject to a juvenile justice framework. Juvenile courts often emphasize rehabilitation, education, and privacy protections, with procedures and penalties that differ from those applied to adults. The term delinquency is commonly associated with illegal or antisocial behavior by minors, and jurisdictions may use a range of interventions, from counseling to community programs, rather than adult-style punishment.

In biology and animal science, the juvenile stage is the developmental phase between infancy or birth and adulthood. During this period, organisms grow, learn, and, in many species, develop reproductive capability. Some species exhibit distinct juvenile, subadult, and adult stages, while others transition more gradually to maturity. The terminology varies across disciplines and taxa, but “juvenile” generally signals a phase of growth and development prior to full maturation.

Etymology traces juvenile to Latin iuventus and iuvenis, meaning youth or young. The term is often used as both a noun and an adjective to describe people, animals, or stages of development that are not yet complete in their growth or legal status.