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
Less than a year after the U.K. banned puberty blockers for trans youth, health secretary Wes Streeting is considering banning the prescription of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by private clinics and healthcare providers to patients under 18.
—
Abby Monteil, Them., 23 May 2025
The film is said to be visually impressive, have great young performances, and is an analysis of the meltdown a 14-year-old can go through while going through puberty.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
For example, girls typically start going through puberty and beginning to look like adults at an earlier age than boys.
—Jonathan B. Santo, The Conversation, 12 May 2025
Previous research has shown that excess fat, or adipose tissue, influences the hormone pathways that regulate puberty, said Erin Hennessy, director of the ChildObesity180 program at Tufts University, who wasn’t part of the study.
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for puberty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Abby Monteil, Them., 23 May 2025
The film is said to be visually impressive, have great young performances, and is an analysis of the meltdown a 14-year-old can go through while going through puberty.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
For example, girls typically start going through puberty and beginning to look like adults at an earlier age than boys.
—Jonathan B. Santo, The Conversation, 12 May 2025
Previous research has shown that excess fat, or adipose tissue, influences the hormone pathways that regulate puberty, said Erin Hennessy, director of the ChildObesity180 program at Tufts University, who wasn’t part of the study.
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for puberty
Cite this Entry
“Puberty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puberty. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share