Teenage describes the years from thirteen to nineteen, when you're no longer a child but not yet an adult. During these teenage years, your body grows rapidly, your voice might change, and you start thinking more independently about who you are and what matters to you.

Teenagers face new freedoms and new responsibilities. A teenager might start staying home alone, getting a part-time job, or making more decisions about friendships and activities. They're learning to balance what they want with what others expect, which can feel exciting and confusing at the same time.

The word comes from the fact that all these ages end in “teen”: thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and so on through nineteen. A teenager is someone in this age group, also called an adolescent. Parents and teenagers sometimes disagree more during these years because teenagers are developing their own opinions and testing their independence, which is a natural part of growing up.