adult
Americannoun
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a person who is fully grown or developed or of age.
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a full-grown animal or plant.
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a person who has attained the age of maturity as specified by law.
adjective
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having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature.
an adult person, animal, or plant.
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of, relating to, or befitting adults.
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intended for adults; not suitable for children.
adult entertainment.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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having reached maturity; fully developed
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of or intended for mature people
adult education
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regarded as suitable only for adults, because of being pornographic
adult films and magazines
noun
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a person who has attained maturity; a grownup
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a mature fully grown animal or plant
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law a person who has attained the age of legal majority (18 years for most purposes) Compare infant
Usage
What does adult mean? An adult is a person who is fully grown or developed. This could refer to a person’s body being done growing or their mind being fully developed. An adult child is someone’s child who is fully grown, as in Murray’s adult children are all married and have children of their own.An adult is also a person who has reached an age that their society says allows them responsibilities and benefits not allowed to children. For example, in the United States someone who is 18 years old is in many cases considered an adult. Eighteen-year-olds can vote, sign a contract, join the military, and other actions children are not allowed to do.An adult can also be a fully grown or matured plant or animal, as in Once my puppy becomes an adult, I’ll need to get them a bigger crate.Adult can also be used to describe something related to adults or adulthood, such as adult responsibilities—like paying rent.Adult can also be used to describe something not suitable for children. Things labeled as adult entertainment, for example, often include explicit sexual content.Informally, adult can be used as a verb meaning to take on responsibilities usually reserved for adults, such as owning a house. It’s often used humorously to describe small responsibilities, as in Tanya really adulted today by putting away her laundry.
Other Word Forms
- adulthood noun
- adultlike adjective
- adultly adverb
- adultness noun
- nonadult adjective
- quasi-adult adjective
- subadult adjective
- subadultness noun
- unadult adjective
Etymology
Origin of adult
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin adultus “grown” (past participle of adolēre “to make grow”), equivalent to ad- ad- + ul- (identical with base al- in aliment ( def. ) ) + -tus past participle suffix
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.
Strategies that can help older adults manage unexpected expenses include delaying claiming Social Security, improving advice about drawing down retirement accounts and making greater use of health savings accounts, Rao and Chen said.
From MarketWatch
While children continue to collect and trade the brightly colored cards, sometimes for a favorite character, some adults have turned Pokemon card collecting into a lucrative hobby — and even a business.
From Los Angeles Times
Inman Grant told the BBC children had proved to be an "incredibly lucrative" market for social media platforms, noting the addictive properties of platforms that were initially designed for adults.
From BBC
Members of the group were giving evidence to Stormont's Health Committee on Thursday in relation to a proposed new law to protect vulnerable adults.
From BBC
Even in New York City, Catholic parishes report a surge of young people entering the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, the program for adults to receive confirmation.
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.
