adulthood
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of adulthood
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.
Vocabulary lists containing adulthood
Sula
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-dom and -hood
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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.
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
I won’t bore you with our dismal record, but being on the team was the most transformative experience of my young adulthood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
But he said a few "anchors" helped him to lay the foundations for adulthood.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 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
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.
