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Synonyms

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. )

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.

"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Happy are the few in this life who actually make it to psychological adulthood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Chavez’s alleged actions “represent a betrayal ... for so many of us, and yet they resonate with many survivors and many women who have experienced this as girls and in our adulthood, including myself.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Based on moderate wear on its cheek teeth, the individual likely died in early to middle adulthood.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Attaining adulthood was all about the eager acceptance of such impediments.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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.