a. and sb. [ad. L. juvenīlis of or belonging to youth, f. juvenis a young person. Cf. F. juvénile (15th c.).
(L. juvenīlis referred to a more advanced age than its Eng. repr.; juvenis being a young man or woman, beyond the stage of adolescence, i.e., between 21 or 25 and 40.)]
A. adj. 1. Young, youthful.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Viciss. Things (Arb.), 576. Learning hath his Infancy, when it is … almost childish; Then his Youth, when it is Luxuriant and Iuuenile.
1671. Grew, Anat. Plants, vii. § 11. In its first and juvenile Constitution, it is a very Spongy and Sappy body.
1782. V. Knox, Ess. (1819), I. xvii. 101. Man at every age seeks to be pleased, but more particularly at the juvenile age.
1796. Jane Austen, Sense & Sens., I. vii. He was a blessing to all the juvenile part of the neighbourhood.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., I. vii. 84–5. Although the order was … carried to Aunt Chloe by at least half a dozen juvenile messengers.
2. Belonging to, characteristic of, suited to, or intended for youth.
1661. Glanvill, Van. Dogmatizing, Ep. Ded. A iij. I hope you’l consider, that Scepticism is … no crime in a Juvenile exercitation.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 96. This inspires a juvenile warmth through his whole frame.
1844. (title) Juvenile Missionary Magazine of the London Missionary Society.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, i. Dressed in a very juvenile manner.
1882. Hinsdale, Garfield & Educ., II. 381. At that period, few juvenile books were published.
B. sb. 1. A young person; a youth.
1733. P. Aram, in Gent, Rippon, 12. Thus angry speaks, and yet deceitful smiles, With Juv’nal Air, on tender Juveniles.
1847. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xviii. II. 83. ‘Yes—yes—yes!’ cried the juveniles, both ladies and gentlemen. ‘Let her come—it will be excellent sport!’
1871. Longf., in Life (1891), III. 172. Some bashful juvenile is even now timidly applying his hand to it.
2. Theatr. An actor who plays a youthful part.
1890. in Cent. Dict.
Hence Juvenilely adv., in a juvenile or youthful way; Juvenileness, youthfulness; Juvenilify, Juvenilize vbs. trans., to make young or youthful.
1727. Bailey, vol. II., Juvenilely, Juvenileness.
1833. Blackw. Mag., XXXIII. 848/1. Our system is juvenilized by all matin rural influences.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xii. (1859), 279. Our old friend … quite juvenilified by the laughing scene.
1889. J. M. Robertson, Ess. Crit. Meth., 246. Juvenilely facetious.
