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adulthood

American  
[uh-duhlt-hood] / əˈdʌlt hʊd /

noun

  1. the state or period of being fully grown, fully developed, or of age.

    My mother raised four children to adulthood.


Etymology

Origin of adulthood

adult ( def. ) + -hood ( def. )

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing adulthood

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

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