youth

n.

1. The state or quality of being young

   boyhood, adolescence, girlhood, childhood, early manhood, early womanhood, early adulthood, puberty, tender age, juvenescence, minority, youthfulness, teen age, virginity, bloom, teens*, age of ignorance*, age of indiscretion*, awkward age*, salad days*, betweenities*.

   Antonyms maturity*, old age*, senility. *

2. Young people

   the younger generation, the rising generation, the next generation, juvenility, children, the young, college youth, working youth.

3. A young person

   boy, junior, teenager, lad, youngster, stripling, minor, young man, miss, girl, maiden, fledgling, juvenile, urchin, adolescent, student, kid*, teen*, pre-teen*, gosling*, pup*, calf*; see also child.

   Antonyms oldster, graybeard, dotard.