grown-up
Americanadjective
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having reached the age of maturity.
-
characteristic of or suitable for adults.
grown-up behavior; grown-up fiction.
adjective
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having reached maturity; adult
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suitable for or characteristic of an adult
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grown-up
First recorded in 1625–35; adj. use of verb phrase grow up
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.
He was “very close” to joining the New York Jets, but he “had to make a grown-up decision,” Mr. Hill said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I don’t feel like a grown-up yet, and now I pay a mortgage, and fix pipes and clean gutters.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Compared to the 30-year-old I interviewed five years ago, Piker looked considerably more grown-up.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
This chapter pushes the franchise into darker, more grown-up territory which was part of the appeal for new director Philip Barantini, best known for Adolescence and Boiling Point.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
“I hope the Vaughns are not fine grown-up people. Do you know anything about them, Jo?” asked Meg.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
