definitions

adult

[ uh-duhlt, ad-uhlt ]
/ əˈdʌlt, ˈæd ʌlt /

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WATCH NOW: We Asked: What Does It Mean To Be An "Adult"?

Should we be using "adulting" instead of the word "adult" these days?

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adjective

having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature: an adult person, animal, or plant.
of, relating to, or befitting adults.
intended for adults; not suitable for children: adult entertainment.

noun

a person who is fully grown or developed or of age.
a full-grown animal or plant.
a person who has attained the age of maturity as specified by law.

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RELATED WORDS

person, woman, man, grownup, developed, grown, grown-up, ripe, gentleperson

Nearby words

adularia, adulate, adulation, adulatory, adullamite, adult, adult education, adult fanconi's syndrome, adult home, adult medulloepithelioma, adult onset diabetes

Origin of adult

1525–35; 1925–30 for def 3; < Latin adultus grown (past participle of adolēre to make grow), equivalent to ad- ad- + ul- (identical with base al- in aliment, ol- in prolific) + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adult

British Dictionary definitions for adult

adult

/ (ˈædʌlt, əˈdʌlt) /

adjective

having reached maturity; fully developed
of or intended for mature peopleadult education
regarded as suitable only for adults, because of being pornographicadult films and magazines

noun

a person who has attained maturity; a grownup
a mature fully grown animal or plant
law a person who has attained the age of legal majority (18 years for most purposes)Compare infant
Derived Formsadulthood, noun

Word Origin for adult

C16: from Latin adultus, from adolēscere to grow up, from alēscere to grow, from alēre to feed, nourish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for adult

adult

[ ə-dŭlt′, ăd′ŭlt ]

n.

One who has attained maturity or legal age.
A fully grown, mature organism.

adj.

Fully developed and mature.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.