Adolescence typically starts around age 10 or 11 at the beginning of puberty. According to the US National Library of Medicine, adolescence ends at ages 18 or 19 when adult behavior and identity has been accepted. The adolescent age range is divided into three categories known as stages of adolescence. Stages of Adolescence: Adolescence and the ... Adolescence, transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. The World Health Organization defines an adolescent as any person aged 10 to 19. Age is a convenient way to define adolescence, but it is only one characteristic that delineates this period of development. Age is often more appropriate for assessing and comparing biological changes (e.g. puberty), which are fairly universal, than the social transitions, which vary more with the socio-cultural environment. Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood. Learn about the biological, psychological and social aspects of adolescence, such as puberty, hormones, facial hair, menarche and more.