puberty
noun
pu·ber·ty
ˈpyü-bər-tē 
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually that is brought on by the production of sex hormones and the maturing of the reproductive organs (such as the testes and ovaries), development of secondary sex characteristics (such as male facial hair growth and female breast development), and in humans and the higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls
Examples of puberty in a Sentence
He reached puberty later than most of his classmates.
Recent Examples on the Web
Children who are abused earlier in life, typically before puberty—such as Kevin—show greater emotional dysregulation, weaker control over their thoughts and actions, and more rapid biological aging.
—
Marc D. Hauser, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
To kick-start puberty and calm the haters, Ritchson threw himself into the gym.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
The governor’s order came shortly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared gender-affirming surgical procedures in children and prescribing drugs affecting puberty should be considered child abuse.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024
During the rollercoaster that is puberty, developing breasts can bring about a lot of mixed feelings for growing kids.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
The ban enacted as part of HB 68 would impact reversible puberty blockers and less-reversible hormone therapy treatments.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2024
The lawsuit states that K.J. began taking puberty blockers after visiting with a doctor at MU Health in 2022.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Last spring, for example, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law prohibiting puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, and another barring transgender people from using the restroom that matches their gender identity.
—Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
There are ongoing, long-term studies of puberty blockers for transgender youth, Wilson said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
Marc D. Hauser, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
To kick-start puberty and calm the haters, Ritchson threw himself into the gym.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
The governor’s order came shortly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared gender-affirming surgical procedures in children and prescribing drugs affecting puberty should be considered child abuse.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024
During the rollercoaster that is puberty, developing breasts can bring about a lot of mixed feelings for growing kids.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
The ban enacted as part of HB 68 would impact reversible puberty blockers and less-reversible hormone therapy treatments.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2024
The lawsuit states that K.J. began taking puberty blockers after visiting with a doctor at MU Health in 2022.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Last spring, for example, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law prohibiting puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, and another barring transgender people from using the restroom that matches their gender identity.
—Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
There are ongoing, long-term studies of puberty blockers for transgender youth, Wilson said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puberty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near puberty
Cite this Entry
“Puberty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puberty. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puberty
noun
pu·ber·ty
pyü-bərt-ē
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually that is brought on by the production of sex hormones and the maturing of the sex organs (as the testes and ovaries) and is marked by the development of secondary sex characteristics (as male facial hair growth and female breast development) and by the occurrence of the first menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs often defined legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls
Medical Definition
puberty
noun
pu·ber·ty
ˈpyü-bərt-ē
plural puberties
1
: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually marked by maturing of the genital organs, development of secondary sex characteristics, and in humans and the higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female
2
: the age at which puberty occurs being typically between 13 and 16 years in boys and 11 and 14 in girls and often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls
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