young adult

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a category of fiction that is primarily intended for adolescent readers
young adult fiction/literature
We live in an era of blockbuster young adult book series: Harry Potter, Twilight, now the Hunger Games.Leah Wilson
Early in her four-year career as the young adult librarian of the Huckaby Public Library, Veronica Garde observed that most of the staff had a sliding scale of courtesy toward library users, teenagers being given the shortest shrift.A. J. Anderson
abbreviation YA

Examples of young adult in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This young adult fantasy follows a 16-year-old who discovers a magical attack and realizes this new world of demons and mages has a connection to her mother’s death. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Harriet McBryde Johnson turned to fiction with this powerful young adult novel inspired by her own experiences at a cross-disability summer camp during the early disability rights movement. Diane Debrovner, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Farrell announced the launch of Red Sage Studios, a company focused on premium young adult feature storytelling, earlier this year. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 June 2026 The 988 hotline, which has been dubbed the 911 for mental health emergencies, is credited with reducing teen and young adult suicide deaths. Arkansas Online, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for young adult

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of young adult was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Young adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/young%20adult. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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