adulting

American

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

noun

the act of carrying out the everyday tasks associated with adulthood, and of taking on adult responsibilities.

Other Word Forms

adulter

noun

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.

“The cost of adulting is high,” said Will Smayda, head of financial centers at Bank of America.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

It’s your friend’s dad who’s always around to help fix whatever home improvement, automobile, or general adulting problem you have.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

Hopefully I’ll live a long time, and by the time they have to think about managing my affairs, they’ll know a lot more about adulting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

I know the term adulting gets thrown around by my millennial cohort, but my husband and I, early 30s, are thinking about kids soon and realized we need to make some major changes.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2024

As I approach 60, I am comforted to know that the brilliant McNamara also feels like she hasn’t fully mastered adulting and doesn’t care.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023