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.

A time when we didn’t worry and weren’t burdened with adulting.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 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

This should be a teachable moment, the adulting equivalent of an afterschool special.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 26, 2025

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

She’s now struggling to support herself on $27,000 a year and figure out all the adulting stuff most people went through 20 years younger.

From Slate • Jan. 9, 2023

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