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Juvenile vs Neoteny - What's the difference?

juvenile | neoteny |

As nouns the difference between juvenile and neoteny

is that juvenile is a prepubescent child while neoteny is (biology) the retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult.

As a adjective juvenile

is young; not fully developed.

juvenile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • young; not fully developed
  • characteristic of youth or immaturity; childish

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • a prepubescent child
  • a person not legally of age, or who is younger than may be charged with an offence
  • an animal that is not sexually mature
  • an actor playing a child's role

    • Derived terms

    * (not of legal age) juvenile court, juvenile delinquent, juvenile detention center, juvenile hall

    neoteny

    English

    (wikipedia neoteny)

    Noun

    (-)
  • (biology) The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult.
    • Most amphibians are aquatic only while young, but some amphibians with neoteny remain aquatic even as adults.
  • (biology) The sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage.

    • Synonyms

    * pedomorphism

    Derived terms

    * neotenic * neotenous * neotenously * neotenist