Young, early form.
Relating to or affecting children or adolescents.
Young persons who are not old enough to be treated as adults under criminal law. (By contrast, the term minor refers to a young person’s legal ability to act as an adult.) The age limit varies, but the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 defined a juvenile as someone under the age of 18; cases involving juveniles are generally tried in juvenile court. If found to have committed a crime, a minor is—in strict legal terms—labeled a juvenile delinquent, a term often applied more loosely and widely to adolescents who are disruptive or troublesome, or un-socialized. Juveniles are often status offenders, and so may be made wards of the court and committed to an institution for acts that, if committed by an adult, would not be considered criminal.
Occurring in someone under the age of 18; pertaining to youth or childhood.