Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1996
Adultescent
adult adolescent
- Meaning
- An adult retaining the interests and lifestyle of adolescence.
- Source words
- adult + adolescent
- Coined by
- unknown
- Year
- 1996
Background
UK and US lifestyle press usage. The phenomenon it names — extended youth culture in 20s and 30s — became a defining 2000s social theme; the word captured it early but never fully dislodged competitors like *kidult*.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
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