adolescence

This term describes the transitional phase of human development, carrying a connotation of instability, growth, and the search for identity. It is often associated with the biological onset of puberty and the psychological shift toward independence from parental figures. As an uncountable noun, it refers to the general state or period of being an adolescent. It does not have a plural form and is used to describe the collective experience of this life stage rather than individual instances of it.