adolescency
(ædəʊˈlɛsənsɪ)
[ad. L. adolēscentia n. of state f. adolēscent-em pr. pple. of adolēsc-ĕre to grow up.]
The quality or state of being adolescent, or in the growing age. Properly distinguished from adolescence, as youthfulness is from youth, as in ‘a protracted adolescence,’ but ‘evidences of adolescency.’
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P. R. vi. i. (1495) 186 Adolescencia duryth the thyrd vii yere..and after this adolescenciaes aege comyth the aege that is callyd juventus. 1495 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de Worde) i. liv. 110 bb, In his adolescencie he was Paynem. 1502 Arnold Chron. (1811) 157 The iij. age is adholocencye and endurith vnto xxv. yere age. 1603 Florio Montaigne (1632) i. xxvii. 92 The first and beardlesse youth of his adolescency. 1719 Freethinker No. 138 in Philol. Anglic., In the seasons of puerility and adolescency. |