Meanings
- uncountableThe state, quality, or condition of being a youth; adolescence
I follow Rattansi (2000: 123) on disrupting generalisations, for just as “there is no essential black British 'youthness'”, we know there is no essential white British “youthness” either.
2017, Sadia Habib, Learning and Teaching British Values2 more examples
I have seen the images of old skeletons under the cover of youths. Also I have seen the radiant sun like youth, covered with the clouds of old age. The crown of youthness, only belongs to him - who sustains the powers, moves with the cyclone, shines like the mid-day sun.
1994, Rezaul Karim Talukdar, Nazrul Islam (Kazi), Nazrul, the gift of the century, page 103He has insured me of never disobliging nor never to cause you and his wife any more grievance, and will always be bound to your obedience, and he has acknowledged his fault of being so long absent, and it is with no doubt it gives him great concern in reflecting on his follies, but you are fully sensible that youthness and bad advisers are always of great prejudice, and much so when they won't be ruled.
1997, Stephen Birmingham, The Grandees: America's Sephardic Elite, page 124
Origin
- Old Englishġeoguþhādnes
- Middle Englishyouthnesse
- Englishyouthness
From Middle English youthnesse, perhaps dissimilated from Old English ġeoguþhādnes, equivalent to youth + -ness.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
youthness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/youthness
“youthness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/youthness. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “youthness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/youthness.
Source: youthness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.