mature

American  

[muh-toor, -tyoor, -choor, -chur] / məˈtʊər, -ˈtyʊər, -ˈtʃʊər, -ˈtʃɜr /

adjective

maturer, maturest

1. complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms.

   a mature rose bush.

   Synonyms:

   adult, grown, aged

   Antonyms:

   young, green, raw, childish

2. ripe, as fruit, or fully aged, as cheese or wine.

3. fully developed in body or mind, as a person.

   She was a mature woman who took her family responsibilities seriously.

   Synonyms:

   adult, grown, aged

   Antonyms:

   young, green, raw, childish

4. noting or pertaining to an adult who is middle-aged or older (used euphemistically).

   discrimination against mature applicants.

5. pertaining to or characteristic of full development.

   a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness.

6. completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind.

   mature plans.

   Synonyms:

   prepared, ready

7. (of an industry, technology, market, etc.) no longer developing or expanding; having little or no potential for further growth or expansion; exhausted or saturated.

8. intended for or restricted to adults, especially by reason of explicit sexual content or the inclusion of violence or obscene language.

   mature movies.

9. composed of adults, considered as being less susceptible than minors to explicit sexual content, violence, or obscene language, as of a film or stage performance.

   for mature audiences only.

10. Finance. having reached the limit of its time; having become payable or due.

    a mature bond.

11. Medicine/Medical.

    1. having attained definitive form or function, as by maturation of an epithelium from a basal layer.

    2. having attained the end stage of a normal or abnormal biological process.

       a mature boil.

12. Geology. (of a landscape) exhibiting the stage of maximum topographical diversity, as in the cycle of erosion of a land surface.

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verb (used with object)

matured, maturing

1. to make mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

   Synonyms:

   develop, age

2. to bring to full development.

   His hard experiences in the city matured him.

3. to complete or perfect.

   We matured our vision for the company.

   She matured her songwriting throughout her career.

verb (used without object)

matured, maturing

1. to become mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

   Synonyms:

   develop, age

2. to come to full development.

   Our plans have not yet matured.

3. Finance. to become due, as a note.

mature British  

/ məˈtjʊə, -ˈtʃʊə /

adjective

1. relatively advanced physically, mentally, emotionally, etc; grown-up

2. (of plans, theories, etc) fully considered; perfected

3. due or payable

   a mature debenture

4. biology

   1. fully developed or differentiated

      a mature cell

   2. fully grown; adult

      a mature animal

5. (of fruit, wine, cheese, etc) ripe or fully aged

6. (of a river valley or land surface) in the middle stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by meanders, maximum relief, etc See also youthful old

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verb

1. to make or become mature

2. (intr) (of notes, bonds, etc) to become due for payment or repayment

Usage

What does mature mean? If a person is mature, they act grown-up. If an animal is mature, it has reached adulthood. If a fruit is mature, it’s ripe. If a game or movie is intended for a mature audience, it means it’s for adults because it’s inappropriate for kids. Mature has many meanings in addition to the common ones above. It is most commonly used as an adjective, but it can also be a verb meaning to become mature or to make mature. Example: Some of my students are very mature and responsible, but the rest of them act like preschoolers.

Related Words

See ripe.

Other Word Forms

• half-matured
  adjective
• maturely
  adverb
• maturement
  noun
• matureness
  noun
• maturer
  noun
• nonmature
  adjective
• nonmaturely
  adverb
• nonmatureness
  noun
• overmature
  adjective
• overmaturely
  adverb
• overmatureness
  noun
• self-matured
  adjective
• semimature
  adjective
• semimaturely
  adverb
• semimatureness
  noun
• unmature
  adjective
• unmatured
  adjective
• unmaturely
  adverb
• unmaturing
  adjective
• well-matured
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mature

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin mātūrus “ripe, timely, early”; akin to manes, matutinal

Explanation

Someone who is mature acts grown up, like an adult. However, when one sister says to another, "That's so mature," she's usually using the word sarcastically, because her sister has done something very immature, like sticking out her tongue. The adjective mature doesn't only describe advancing age, although the residents of a senior citizens' home could definitely be considered mature. Anything that is fully developed, like an aged cheese or bottle of wine, can also be called mature. The word can also refer to something that is only appropriate for people who are considered legal adults, like the movie that is for "mature audiences only."

Example Sentences

Mature eels then make the journey back to sea to breed.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

We’ve heard this argument before: Mature quantum computers could lead to a paradigm shift, offering speed-ups in areas such as drug discovery and financial modeling.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

"Mature heart muscle cells do not typically divide, so we thought we'd need an especially strong genetic mutation to convince them to multiply," said Nenad Bursac, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2024

Mature beyond her 14 years, Katelen, the singer, is a co-parent of sorts, a patient caretaker of her younger siblings.

From New York Times • Dec. 11, 2023

Mature and ladylike at just fourteen years old, she was a person on a mission: she seemed to know exactly where she was going in life, with a sort of inward direction driving her.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• bloom
• blossom
• develop
• evolve
• grow
• grow up
• mellow
• mushroom
• ripen