come of age
Americanverb (used without object)
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to become an adult.
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to reach maturity, acceptance, or readiness.
Other Word 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.
Sometimes, Saunders wonders whether the path she followed — go to college, get a job — would have led to her owning a home if she’d come of age in a different generation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Martin described Gen Z as one of the first generations in recent memory to come of age facing markedly tighter economic circumstances.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Theater artists who have come of age in this period have been released from the burden of having to conform to notions of regional theater respectability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
An MVP candidate has come of age on the biggest stage, delivering numbers, highlights, and importantly, attitude, and putting the rest of the league on permanent notice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Bobby seemed to have come of age at Palma.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
