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.

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adulthood

The 27-year-old British researcher was a talented math student who went to Cambridge and spent his young adulthood in a London intellectual community known as the “rationalists.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Eventually, adulthood is supposed to mean meeting the vegetable on its own terms — and, preferably, enjoying it.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Even after children reach adulthood, parents may continue to see them as needing protection, rather than as capable of confronting difficult truths.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

When the child reaches adulthood, they receive the full balance as an unrestricted lump sum.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

He needed some of his appetites filled, some posture of adulthood recognized, but mosdy he wanted someone to care about his hurt, to care very deeply.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• boldness
• bravery
• courage
• fortitude
• masculinity
• mettle
• nobility
• potency
• virility