/ juːθ; NAmE / noun ( pl. youths / juːðz; NAmE /)
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.
2.
[ U ] the quality or state of being young :
She brings to the job a rare combination of youth and experience.
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
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English geoguth , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jeugd , German Jugend , also to young .