1. In ancient Greece, a young man undergoing military training, typically between 18 and 20 years old.
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to the institution
2. A young man or adolescent, especially one regarded as physically attractive or idealized in art.
Usage: formal; often used in art history and classical studies

Examples

• The ephebe completed his two years of mandatory military service in Athens.
• Ancient Greek sculptors often depicted the ephebe as the ideal form of youthful masculinity.
• During the Hellenistic period, the ephebe system remained an important part of civic education.
• The museum's collection includes several marble statues of ephebes from the classical era.
• In Plato's writings, the education of the ephebe is discussed as crucial to the state.