youthyouth /juːθ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun (plural youths /juːðz $ juːðz, juːθs/) 
Many of these people had used drugs in their youth.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say when I was young, rather than saying in my youth:· They were friends when they were young.2[countable] a teenage boy – used especially in newspapers to show disapproval: a gang of youths► see thesaurus at child, man3[uncountable] young people in generalthe youth of something The youth of today are the pensioners of tomorrow.4[uncountable] the quality or state of being young OPP age: Despite his youth, he had travelled alone. The cream will restore youth and vitality to your skin.COLLOCATIONSverbsspend your youth· She spent her youth in India.relive/recapture your youth (=do things you did when young, to try and experience youth again)· The band’s fans are clearly reliving their youth.· The sports car is an attempt to recapture his youth.phrasesa misspent youth (=spent doing things that were bad or not useful)· He is trying to make up for his misspent youth.your lost youth (=the time long ago when you were young)· He wept for his lost youth.the days/dreams/friends etc of somebody’s youth· He had long ago forgotten the dreams of his youth.
WORD ORIGINyouth
Origin:
Old English geoguthEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a church youth group
- a gang of youths on motorbikes
- Caroline had been a ballet dancer in her youth.
- Horton teaches at a school for troubled youths in San Diego.
- One of the youths pushed her against the wall and took her bag.
- She revisited all the places where she had spent her youth.
- Society seems obsessed with youth and wealth.
- The police had questioned three youths, but then later released them without charge.
- I studied it in my youth, and my love of Faure, Debussy and Ravel encouraged me to improve it.
- It had about it the idealism of youth.
- None the less Tupac headed a youth group, the New Afrikan Panthers, performing at community centres.
- Some youths astride shining motor-cycles had congregated outside a closed motor-cycle shop.
- There has been a corresponding shift in studies of youth and in the kind of questions asked by sociologists.
- This was one of the great questions of my youth in the 60s, of course.
- This was the first independent radio station in the republic and was to be run by the students' official youth organization.
THESAURUS
someone who is not yet an adult. You don’t usually use child to talk about babies or teenagers: · Many children are scared of the dark.· He’s just a child.
informal a child. Kid is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English: · We left the kids in the car.
a young male or female child: · I lived there when I was a little girl.· Little boys love dinosaurs.
someone between the ages of 13 and 19: · There’s not much for teenagers to do around here.
a young person who is developing into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems these people have: · He changed from a cheerful child to a confused adolescent.
especially disapproving a teenage boy – especially one who is violent and commits crimes: · He was attacked by a gang of youths.· a youth court
a child or young person – used especially by old people: · You youngsters have got your whole life ahead of you.· He’s a bright youngster with a good sense of humour.
law someone who is not yet legally an adult: · It is illegal to sell alcohol to a minor.
an adult male human: · a young man· Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest.
(also bloke/chap British English) informal a man: · She’d arranged to meet a guy in the bar.· Alex is a really nice bloke.
formal a man – used as a very polite way of talking about a man: · an elderly gentleman· Please could you serve this gentleman?
a young male person, usually a child or a teenager: · a teenage boy
old-fashioned informal a boy or young man: · When I was a young lad, I wanted to join the army.
a teenage boy or young man – used especially in news reports to show disapproval: · Gangs of youths roam the streets.
formal a man – used especially by the police or in science and research contexts. The adjective male is much more common than the noun: · We are investigating the death of an unidentified male.· The condition is usually found only in males.
American English informal a man – a very informal use: · You could tell there was something creepy going on with that dude.
Longman Language Activatorto have an advantage to have something that makes you more likely to succeed than other people: · The American team seemed to have all the advantages - better training, better facilities, and much better financial support.have an advantage over: · The winning boxer had an advantage over his opponent because he was several pounds heavier.
if someone is at an advantage , they have experience or qualities which make them more likely to succeed in doing something or more likely to do something well: · Students with a strong math background will be at an advantage next year when the statistics course starts.be at an advantage over: · Children have several advantages over adults when it comes to learning another language.distinct advantage (=definite advantage): · Mitchell's height gives him a distinct advantage over the other players.
British /the odds are stacked in somebody's favor American used to say that someone has a big advantage in a competition, election etc so that they are very likely to win: · Everyone knows that you can't win at gambling because the odds are stacked in the dealer's favour.· The odds were stacked in the Labour Party's favour, so it was a great surprise when they were not elected.
to have a big advantage over others in a particular activity, especially because you started doing it before them: have a head start on: · The British have a head start on many other countries in areas such as genetic engineering. give somebody a head start: · Sending your children to nursery school clearly gives them a head start.
to have all the qualities that are likely to make you succeed in whatever you decide to do: · She was bright and pretty and had everything going for her.· Barry had everything going for him -- charm, looks, intelligence, but still he was unemployed.
to have an advantage over others because you are young, have a lot of experience etc: · He is a strong player but his opponent will have youth on his side.· With knowledge of the company on her side, she was more likely to get the job than any of the external candidates.
to have all the advantages in a particular situation so that you can control what happens: · It seemed that he held all the cards and that there was nothing she could do but say 'yes'.
to have more power than someone, especially someone who is fighting against you or who does not agree with you, so that you are likely to defeat them: · Although the rebels control areas in the south, the government still has the upper hand. have the upper hand against: · Police finally have the upper hand against the drug dealers in the area.
to be in a position where you have an advantage over someone and are likely to win, especially in discussions to get something from them: · The government claims that as long as they have nuclear weapons, they can negotiate from a position of strength.· At the end of the war, the US was in a strong position to influence the future of Europe.
a young person someone who is between 13 and 19 years old: · River Phoenix became a famous actor while still a teenager.· The survey shows that four out of five teenagers have experimented with illegal drugs.
a young man between about 15 and 25 years old - use this especially about groups of young men who behave badly or do something illegal: · One of the youths pushed her against the wall and took her bag.· The police had questioned three youths, but then later released them without charge.· a gang of youths on motorbikes
someone who is in their teens is between 13 and 19 years old: · She had run away from home several times in her teens.in your early/mid/late teens: · Most of the girls at the concert were in their early teens.
someone who is at the age when they change from being a child into a young adult - use this especially when talking about problems that young people have at this age: · John changed from a friendly and cheerful young boy into a confused adolescent.· An estimated 62 million Americans smoke, including 4.1 million adolescents aged 12-17.
a person under the age when they legally become an adult - used in legal contexts: · Stores are forbidden to sell alcohol and cigarettes to minors.
the time when you were young the time when you are a child: · Nina had happy memories of her childhood on the farm.early childhood (=when you are a young child): · His early childhood was spent with his father in Chicago.
the time when you are young, especially the time between 15 and 25 when you are no longer a child: · She revisited all the places where she had spent her youth.in somebody's youth (=when they were young): · Caroline had been a ballet dancer in her youth.
the time when a young person is changing from being a child into a young adult - use this especially when talking about the problems that young people have at this age: · During adolescence, boys are sometimes very shy and lacking in self-confidence.
affecting or involving young people: youth club/group/organization etc a club, group etc for young people: · I met her at the local youth club.· a concert by the National Youth Orchestra
use this about things produced for teenagers, or things that teenagers do: · the teenage music sceneteenage fashions/magazines/pregnancy/drug-taking etc: · There has been a significant increase in teenage pregnancies recently.
use this about crimes by young people: juvenile crime/offender (=crime by young people/a young person who is a criminal): · Juvenile crime is an increasing problem in big cities.· Many juvenile offenders were being put in adult prisons.juvenile delinquency (=illegal or bad behaviour by young people): · The public housing units have frequently become slums and hotbeds of crime, especially juvenile delinquency.juvenile court (=a court that deals with crimes by young people): · O'Brien, 15, will face murder charges in a juvenile court.
young people in general · The show is extremely popular, especially with the young.· Living together without getting married is increasingly common among the young.
the young people of a particular time or place: the youth of: · The youth of today have much more money than we had 50 years ago.· The youth of industrialized nations need to be made aware of global problems.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs a callow youth He was no longer in the first flush of youth. I went youth hostelling in the Peak District.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· She spent her youth in India.
(=do things you did when young, to try and experience youth again)· The band’s fans are clearly reliving their youth.· The sports car is an attempt to recapture his youth.
phrases (=spent doing things that were bad or not useful)· He is trying to make up for his misspent youth.
(=the time long ago when you were young)· He wept for his lost youth.
· He had long ago forgotten the dreams of his youth.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a callow youth (=where young people can go to meet and take part in activities)· The money will be used to provide a youth centre.
(=for young people)· The youth club is on Thursday nights in the village hall.
(=committed by children and teenagers)· Police blame gangs for a third of all juvenile crime in the city.
He was no longer in the first flush of youth.· At age nine, Pedro joined one of the youth gangs in his neighborhood, just to survive.
(=the number of young people/men/women unemployed)· Youth unemployment there has reached 50 percent.
I went youth hostelling in the Peak District.· There were complaints by black youths of police harassment, the sus laws merely being used as an excuse for this.· Complaints of police harassment of black youths in Council Bluffs, Iowa, also generated tense conditions.· In 1987 disorder occurred in Wolverhampton after a black youth died of asphyxiation while being arrested on 20 February.· Kareem, a tall, lanky thirteen-year-old black youth has just finished a performance that brought down the house.· The move followed a series of attacks on white teachers by a group of pro-PAC black youths calling themselves the Revolutionary Watchdogs.· Police with the aid of a hastily organized black youth patrol, restored order.· That black youth dying in police custody has not helped.· Deaths from gunshot wounds have soared among black youths, while deaths from other forms of violence have remained level.
· Later, two local youths who called themselves Gangster Disciples were convicted.· Supporters argue that local youths need a safe and legal place to hone their sidewalk surfing skills.· They're all fine routes for backpacking holidays but local youth hostels or bed and breakfasts are also available.· Most importantly, the Conquistadores use the proceeds from the tournament to help fund local youth sports all year round.· Until a successful formula can be devised, local initiatives for youth are likely to continue with as much publicity as possible.· This is expected to raise £6 million in its first year to support local and youth sport.· The scheme helps forge partnerships between schools, local communities and youth organisations.· You might be able to get the local youth or recreation service to help.
· In Burnley Wood, a mob of white youths surrounded Amit Stores, a corner shop near the working men's club.· They were accosted by three white youths who taunted and then attacked them.· The violence apparently escalated as white and black youths turned over a bus and began smashing shop windows.· Gangs, particularly of white youths, formed definite nuclei for crowd and mob formations.· A large crowd of white youths set up burning barricades and smashed windows, doors, and fences on the estate.· He and a white friend, William Grady, had been chased into the station by white youths throwing bottles and stones.· This would seem to invite an invidious comparison between white youth who are unemployed and their more successful black peers.· Has the next generation of unemployed white youth followed in the footsteps of their elder brothers or taken a new route?
NOUN· They are generally based in youth clubs and centres, and work on a variety of projects including those for the unemployed.· The publication also is distributed to youth clubs, clinics, school libraries, drug treatment centers and churches across the country.· Once, when he was the centre of attention at the youth club I saw him do it again.· Huh, bet I've done everything he's done, with Ange Dolittle behind the youth club.· Bowling Suppers: Office Parties, youth clubs etc.· Gray ought to have been cancelling his youth club, which he usually held on a Thursday evening.· Councils can use similar powers to check on drivers' backgrounds that are available for people applying to run youth clubs.
· These predictions have yet to materialise, and youth crime rates have been on the decline for several years.· Anyone wishing to tackle crime rates must pay enormous attention to youth crime because of its sheer scale.· Painfully little has been done specifically to tackle car crime, which is a major aspect of youth crime.· There is a tidal wave of youth crime, and the Government have not begun to answer it.· They blame youth crime on unemployment and lack of respect for the law.· Voice over Joyriding is the youth crime of the 90s.· There is a national crisis of youth crime, but the Bill does not deal with its roots.
· Similarly, cultural and population dynamics have meant that there is now a major youth culture, with its associated markets.· Pop music and its link with youth culture should be an important field of study in media education.· There has been a national style revolution in Britain which has influenced and been influenced by the youth culture of football spectatorship.· Doreen Massey explains: The spatial openness of youth cultures in many if not all parts of the world is clear.· Evidence for such qualities might come from other areas of youth culture.· The long, hot summer of 1976 saw the rise of an extraordinary new youth culture, the punks.· In other words, we could look at youth culture as a way of understanding social changes taking place in society.· But expectations had been raised, and the resulting outrage found vent in youth culture.
· At nine, Pedro joined one of the youth gangs in the neighborhood.
· Jefferson is one of those people upon whom Church youth groups seem often to depend.· As a boy he had quit many things-the basketball team, the Episcopal youth group and always enjoyed the experience.· None the less Tupac headed a youth group, the New Afrikan Panthers, performing at community centres.· But as her friends from the youth group rallied around her, she began to open up.· Data collection is mainly by questionnaire and structured interviews with families, youth groups and problem drinkers.· And out on the lawn, where the church youth group practices soccer, there will be legions of reporters.· Among the agencies involved with the local authority were housing associations; voluntary groups; church groups; youth groups.· The youth group played two school performances in the center Wednesday and yesterday.
· Passing the youth hostel, we climbed through gorse and bracken to Port Eynon Point.· Caroline Dickinson was raped and killed July 18, 1996, in her bed at a youth hostel.· The walls surrounding the courtyard used to protect what was once a fortress but which is now a youth hostel.· Other unusual and seemingly bogus addresses: Thirty people registered at youth hostels.· A week's multi-activity holiday based at a youth hostel costs around £120-£130.· They're all fine routes for backpacking holidays but local youth hostels or bed and breakfasts are also available.· Calling Emily, I legged it to the youth hostel two miles away.· In the late afternoon the weather cleared and we walked back to the youth hostel.
· The Phalangists look innocent enough with their little moustaches and their campfires amid the fir trees, the stuff of youth movements.· A definite youth movement has occurred in this country.· Something was happening amongst the youth movement that so admired him and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
· The ex-Gunner is Hoddle's first appointment, taking over from another Highbury old boy Peter Nicholas as youth team coach.· Leeds youth team are playing in Dublin tonight against Home Farm youths.· Surely a youth team is required at all clubs.· Still at school but has already played a few times in midfield for youth team.· Methody winger Richard McCluskey showed great pace and balance running in for two late tries as the youth team tired.· EX-WREXHAM youth team coach Idris Price is the new manager of Oswestry Town.· Turner, who made his League debut on opening day, played for the youth team last week.· Paul Hart manages the youth team at Leeds.
· We are continuing to deliver the youth training guarantee.· More than 3.1 million young people have taken part in youth training since 1983.· Student nurses, those on youth training schemes and others will also be helped.· More than 80 percent. of those on youth training gain a qualification or a job, or enter a further education course.· They must go back to the drawing board and review the whole of youth training.· The truth is that the youth training guarantee is not being delivered by Devon training and enterprise council.· Furthermore, not all youth training leads to jobs and the quality of training is very variable.· All that has been compounded by the Government's crazy cuts in youth training, including in the construction industry.
· And in fact there are also topics to be drawn from the elements of the story - such as youth unemployment or divorce.· Juppe said he would soon announce measures to fight youth unemployment.· In the mid-1970s this picture was about to change, as economic crisis produced widespread unemployment, and particularly high youth unemployment.· Task forces, meanwhile, were directed to tackle youth unemployment.· At first this was because of high levels of youth unemployment and latterly because of demographic trends.· In recent years it has begun to experience high levels of adult and youth unemployment.· Not surprisingly, therefore, with youth unemployment so high, some school-leavers with qualifications fail to find jobs.· Thus, although youth unemployment is high, it tends to be of shorter duration than that among the older age groups.
· But there was no suggestion that Gray had been involved in anything improper and Jefferson continued to be involved in youth work.· Experience in Community youth work and administration sought.· Mr Good's interest in youth work led to the formation of a Youth Fellowship shortly after he came to the church.· The vast majority of youth work, however, is still done by volunteers.· He carried on doing some lorry driving alongside this part-time work, but was eventually offered a full-time contract in youth work.· He undertook an in-service youth work qualification while working and became a fully qualified youth worker two years later.· Jefferson came to Church youth work with very solid credentials.· Projects in this phase included studies of housing policy, social services and welfare, youth work provision and agricultural marketing.
· At the time I had a job as youth worker at a sports centre in Acton.· For all these reasons, their fears in this respect as youth workers are based on the realities of heterosexism.· With the qualification of students on this course as youth workers and trainers the youth policy promises fair for the future.· I therefore inherited the dubious honour of making it available on loan to youth workers.· He undertook an in-service youth work qualification while working and became a fully qualified youth worker two years later.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Now aged 31, Cardus is no longer in the first flush of youth.
- Trying to make up for his misspent youth.
- You can scarcely regret your misspent youth while still misspending it.
WORD FAMILYnounyoungyoungsteryouthyouthfulnessadjectiveyoungyouthfuladverbyouthfully
1[uncountable] the period of time when someone is young, especially the period when someone is a teenagerin somebody’s youth Many of these people had used drugs in their youth.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say when I was young, rather than saying in my youth:· They were friends when they were young.2[countable] a teenage boy – used especially in newspapers to show disapproval: a gang of youths► see thesaurus at child, man3[uncountable] young people in generalthe youth of something The youth of today are the pensioners of tomorrow.4[uncountable] the quality or state of being young OPP age: Despite his youth, he had travelled alone. The cream will restore youth and vitality to your skin.COLLOCATIONSverbsspend your youth· She spent her youth in India.relive/recapture your youth (=do things you did when young, to try and experience youth again)· The band’s fans are clearly reliving their youth.· The sports car is an attempt to recapture his youth.phrasesa misspent youth (=spent doing things that were bad or not useful)· He is trying to make up for his misspent youth.your lost youth (=the time long ago when you were young)· He wept for his lost youth.the days/dreams/friends etc of somebody’s youth· He had long ago forgotten the dreams of his youth.