adulthood
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of adulthood
Explanation
When you stop growing and start shaving, you are in adulthood — a point where you reach maturity. Unfortunately, physical adulthood does not necessarily imply that psychological adulthood is present. Adulthood implies a maturity of sorts, whether it be physical or psychological. In many cultures, adulthood is marked with a “coming of age” ritual. In Judaism for example, adulthood is marked by the Bat Mitzvah for girls (age 12) and the Bar Mitzvah for boys (age 13) — in which the girl or boy is considered to have reached adulthood within the community.
Vocabulary lists containing adulthood
Sula
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-dom and -hood
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adulthood: High blood pressure plagues many Black Americans.
From Seattle Times • May 22, 2023
Adulthood hasn’t exactly been smooth for LaBeouf either.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2021
Adulthood, at least as portrayed on TV, seemed fraught with peril.
From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2021
Clarke, 45, is known for playing Mickey Smith in Doctor Who from 2005-10, and for his film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood.
From BBC • May 1, 2021
She pulled the coin that she’d gotten from Adulthood out of her pocket.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
