come of age
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to become an adult.
-
to reach maturity, acceptance, or readiness.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Trust in institutions and fellow citizens has declined, and many young people have come of age amid political polarization, technological and economic change, unhinged social media, Covid-era isolation and geopolitical uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
A few minutes in we meet an Ann who has come of age, now played by Amanda Seyfried in a performance of unwavering conviction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
Perhaps this is the week Smith, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse come of age as Ashes performers.
From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025
As Handy writes, “Teenagers and teen movies would come of age hand in hand.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025
“Ah,” said Dumbledore pleasantly, “but in the Wizarding world, we come of age at seventeen.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
