Definition

Verb: - To undergo the process of adolescence; to develop from a child into an adolescent. It describes the period of physical and psychological transition between childhood and adulthood.

Usage

The verb "adolesce" is used to describe the process of maturing during the teenage years. It is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. It is a formal or technical term less common in everyday speech than the noun "adolescence" or the adjective "adolescent."

Examples

• Verb:
  • The children are beginning to adolesce around the age of 12.
  • As they adolesce, teenagers often seek more independence from their parents.
  • The study observed how individuals adolesce in different cultural contexts.

Advanced Usage

• "to begin to adolesce": to start the process of becoming an adolescent.
  • Signs that a child is beginning to adolesce can include rapid growth and emotional changes.

Variants and Related Words

• Adolescence (n): the period of life when a person adolesces; the state or process of growing from childhood to adulthood.
  • He went through a difficult adolescence.
• Adolescent (adj/n): (adj.) relating to or characteristic of adolescence; (n.) a young person who is adolescing.
  • Adolescent behavior can be challenging. (adj.)
  • The program is designed for adolescents. (n.)

Synonyms

• Mature (verb): to become fully developed, though this is a broader term not specific to the teenage years.
• Develop (verb): to grow or cause to grow and become more advanced.

Antonyms

• Regress (verb): to return to a former or less developed state.

Verb

1. become adolescent; pass through adolescence
   • The children are beginning to adolesce around the age of 12