Dictionary
ad•o•les•cence
Pronunciation: (ad"l-es'uns), [key]—
n.
1. the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached; youth.
2. the process or state of growing to maturity.
3. a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.