juvenile

/ˈdʒuːvənaɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒuːvənl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjü-və-ˌnī(-ə)l -nᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdʒuː.vən.aɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒuː.və.nəl/ (ame, ipa)

juvenile — 形容詞

  • juvenilepositive
  • more juvenilecomparative
  • most juvenilesuperlative

1. relating to individuals below the legal or social age at which full adult respon

1.形容詞B1
釋義

青少年的

與青少年有關的

relating to individuals below the legal or social age at which full adult responsibility is given.

例句

The new policy reduces adult prison sentences for young people by expanding juvenile court programmes.

這項新政策減少了青少年被判入成人監獄的人數，並擴大了少年法庭的計畫。

collocation: juvenile court

Jin spoke to a social worker about volunteer opportunities at a local juvenile detention centre.

Jin 和一名社工商談，想在當地的少年觀護所做志工。

collocation: juvenile detention centre

同義詞
  • underage

    strictly legal focus on being below the permitted age, less common in everyday speech

  • minor

    more formal legal term; used as a noun or adjective to mean below the age of majority

  • adolescent

    focuses on the teenage developmental stage rather than the legal status

反義詞
  • adult

    a person who has reached the age of legal responsibility

用法筆記

Frequently appears as an attributive adjective before nouns like 'court', 'crime', 'offender', and 'delinquency' in legal and social contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The juvenile boy is only twelve.
✅The boy is only twelve.
💡'juvenile' already means 'young person'; adding 'boy' or 'girl' after it is redundant in most contexts.

2. describing a medical condition that first appears in young patients and is not t

2.形容詞B2
釋義

幼年型的

好發於兒童與青少年的（疾病）

describing a medical condition that first appears in young patients and is not typically found in adults.

例句

Yael was diagnosed with a mild form of juvenile arthritis at the age of seven.

Yael 在七歲時被診斷出患有輕度的幼年型關節炎。

collocation: juvenile arthritis

The children's hospital runs a special programme for patients with juvenile-onset diabetes.

這家兒童醫院為幼年型糖尿病的患者設立了一個特別的照護計畫。

collocation: juvenile-onset

同義詞
  • childhood

    less formal and broader in scope, not limited to medical contexts

  • paediatric

    relates specifically to medical care for children; more formal register

反義詞
  • adult-onset

    describes a disease that first appears in adulthood

用法筆記

This sense is almost exclusively used in medical contexts. The disease name is often a compound: 'juvenile diabetes', 'juvenile arthritis'. Increasingly, 'juvenile-onset' is used to distinguish from adult-onset forms.

3. used in biology to describe an animal that is still developing and has not yet r

3.形容詞B2
釋義

幼體的

動物尚未發育完全的

used in biology to describe an animal that is still developing and has not yet reached its full adult form, size or reproductive ability.

例句

The field guide explains how to tell a juvenile penguin from an adult by feather colour.

這本野外指南教你如何從羽毛的顏色來分辨幼體企鵝和成體企鵝。

contrast: juvenile vs adult

Aarav watched two juvenile eagles learning to fly while their parents watched nearby.

Aarav 看著兩隻幼鷹在父母旁邊學習飛翔。

同義詞
  • immature

    broad term for any organism or structure not fully developed; also used in non-animal contexts

  • young

    simpler and more common in everyday use; less precise for specific life-stage descriptions

反義詞
  • adult

    an animal that has reached its full size and reproductive capability

用法筆記

Common in biology and wildlife contexts. 'Juvenile' in this sense describes an intermediate life stage — the animal looks like a smaller version of the adult but is not yet able to reproduce.

常見錯誤

❌The juvenile dog is only a puppy.
✅The puppy is only a few weeks old.
💡'Juvenile' is not typically used for very young domestic animals; 'puppy', 'kitten', or 'cub' are more natural.

4. showing behaviour that is silly or immature in a way that is more suitable for a

4.形容詞B2
釋義

幼稚的

行為幼稚像小孩的

showing behaviour that is silly or immature in a way that is more suitable for a young child and that people often disapprove of.

例句

Felix was told his joke about the printer was juvenile and not suitable at work.

Felix 被告知他那個關於印表機的笑話很幼稚，不適合在上班時說。

register label: disapproving

Constanza left the meeting, unable to bear the juvenile arguments between her two colleagues.

Constanza 離開會議室，因為受不了兩位同事之間幼稚的爭論。

同義詞
  • childish

    the most direct synonym; carries the same disapproving tone, more common in everyday speech

  • immature

    slightly less negative; can describe both emotional and physical development

  • puerile

    formal and literary; stronger disapproval, used mostly in writing

反義詞
  • mature

    showing sensible adult behaviour and good judgement

用法筆記

Carries a strong negative judgement. Used to criticise someone's behaviour, sense of humour, or attitude. More common in spoken language than in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌He is juvenile for his age.
✅He behaves in a juvenile way for his age.
💡'Juvenile' as an adjective usually modifies a noun; it does not appear naturally as a complement after 'be' unless describing status ('He is a juvenile').

juvenile — 名詞