The Teenager Was Invented in the 1940s
A teen is a person aged thirteen to nineteen. The concept is much newer than the ages.
A teen is a person aged between thirteen and nineteen, the years whose English names end in *-teen*. The word *teenager* is first recorded in 1941, and it names a social category rather than a biological one: before compulsory secondary schooling and postwar prosperity, young people moved directly from childhood into work, and no separate life stage existed to be named. The *-teen* ending is simply *ten*, so *thirteen* is three plus ten.
- A young person. *A moody teen.*
- Teenager — the full word. *A teenager.*
- Teenage. *Teenage years.*
- -teen — from ten. *Thirteen.*
- First recorded — 1941. *Teenager.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | teen | A teen. |
| Plural | teens | Teens. |
| Full form | teenager | A teenager. |
| Adjective | teenage | Teenage. |
| Suffix | -teen | Sixteen. |
- She is in her teens.Age.
- Teenager dates from 1941.History.
- Thirteen is three plus ten.Numbers.
Why the teenager appeared when it did
- Compulsory secondary schooling kept young people out of work longer
- Postwar prosperity gave them disposable income
- Marketers recognised a distinct group of consumers
- Music and film were aimed at them specifically
- Before all this, childhood led straight into adult work
From the *-teen* ending of thirteen to nineteen, itself from *ten*; *teenager* is first recorded in 1941.
How old is the word teenager?
First recorded in 1941. The ages existed before, but no separate social stage was recognised to name.
Why do the numbers end in -teen?
Because -teen is simply ten. Thirteen means three and ten, fourteen four and ten, and so on.