youth

Universal Words 1 [U] the time of life when a person is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult: He had been a talented musician in his youth. * She regrets that she spent her youth travelling and not studying. 2 [U] the quality or state of being young: She brings to the job a rare combination of youth and experience. * His youth gives him an advantage over the other runners. 3 [C] (often disapproving) a young man: The fight was started by a gang of youths. 4 (also the youth) [pl.] young people considered as a group: the nation's youth * the youth of today * youth culture * youth unemployment