mature

[ muh-toor, -tyoor, -choor, -chur ]

/ məˈtʊər, -ˈtyʊər, -ˈtʃʊər, -ˈtʃɜr /

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See synonyms for: mature / matured / matures / maturing on Thesaurus.com

adjective, ma·tur·er, ma·tur·est.

complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms: a mature rose bush.

ripe, as fruit, or fully aged, as cheese or wine.

fully developed in body or mind, as a person: She was a mature woman who took her family responsibilities seriously.

noting or pertaining to an adult who is middle-aged or older (used euphemistically): discrimination against mature applicants.

pertaining to or characteristic of full development: a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness.

completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind: mature plans.

(of an industry, technology, market, etc.) no longer developing or expanding; having little or no potential for further growth or expansion; exhausted or saturated.

intended for or restricted to adults, especially by reason of explicit sexual content or the inclusion of violence or obscene language: mature movies.

composed of adults, considered as being less susceptible than minors to explicit sexual content, violence, or obscene language, as of a film or stage performance: for mature audiences only.

Finance. having reached the limit of its time; having become payable or due: a mature bond.

Medicine/Medical.

having attained definitive form or function, as by maturation of an epithelium from a basal layer.
having attained the end stage of a normal or abnormal biological process: a mature boil.

Geology. (of a landscape) exhibiting the stage of maximum topographical diversity, as in the cycle of erosion of a land surface.

verb (used with object), ma·tured, ma·tur·ing.

to make mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

to bring to full development: His hard experiences in the city matured him.

to complete or perfect: We matured our vision for the company.She matured her songwriting throughout her career.

verb (used without object), ma·tured, ma·tur·ing.

to become mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

to come to full development: Our plans have not yet matured.

Finance. to become due, as a note.

OTHER WORDS FOR mature

1, 3 aged, grown, adult.

6 ready, prepared.

13, 16 age, develop.

See synonyms for mature on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR mature

1, 3 childish, raw, green, young.

See antonyms for mature on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of mature

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin mātūrus “ripe, timely, early”; akin to manes, matutinal

synonym study for mature

2. See ripe.

OTHER WORDS FROM mature

ma·ture·ly, adverbma·ture·ment, nounma·ture·ness, nounma·tur·er, noun

half-ma·tured, adjectivenon·ma·ture, adjectivenon·ma·ture·ly, adverbnon·ma·ture·ness, nouno·ver·ma·ture, adjectiveo·ver·ma·ture·ly, adverbo·ver·ma·ture·ness, nounself-ma·tured, adjectivesem·i·ma·ture, adjectivesem·i·ma·ture·ly, adverbsem·i·ma·ture·ness, nounun·ma·ture, adjectiveun·ma·ture·ly, adverbun·ma·tured, adjectiveun·ma·tur·ing, adjectivewell-ma·tured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mature in a sentence

This became clear when the researchers looked more closely at what happens to the germline in carpenter ants, the tissues that produce eggs and sperm in the sexually mature adults.
How Two Became One: Origins of a Mysterious Symbiosis Found|Viviane Callier|September 9, 2020|Quanta Magazine
As our e-commerce business matures, we’re starting to collaborate with more retailers — from portfolio management right the way through to content creation and campaign execution.
‘Retailers are media owners in their own right’: Why e-commerce is driving more of Unilever’s media spend|Seb Joseph|September 9, 2020|Digiday
Kahn, Davies, Lifton, and the other panelists said that if the technology matures and countries allow its use, the first applications should be in those rare situations in which two partners suffer from the same serious inherited disease.
The “staged rollout” of gene-modified babies could start with sickle-cell disease|Amy Nordrum|September 3, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Here’s a nine-step process to restore healthy search traffic growth to a mature blog.
How to teach an old blog new SEO tricks|Tom Pick|August 27, 2020|Search Engine Watch

Although agency executives asserted that Microsoft should apply the LinkedIn model to TikTok, they do see an opportunity for Microsoft to help develop TikTok into a mature advertising platform that can compete with sophisticated rivals like Facebook.
Microsoft’s hands-off handling of LinkedIn offers model for potential TikTok acquisition|Tim Peterson|August 24, 2020|Digiday
How much do you think he has matured over the course of the first season, and going into the new one?
Imagine Andy Samberg as Your Best Man|Kevin Fallon|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a post-Cold War figure who matured through “movements,” Barack Obama is drawing from a distinct tradition.
How Obama's Shallow Worldview Failed Us|Stuart Stevens|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All of the whisky used in both types of scotch must be matured in Scotland and aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks.
Don't Be a Single-Malt Scotch Snob|Kayleigh Kulp|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I've been thinking about it for a while and waited for the right time, and now it's matured.
Model Suki Waterhouse Lands Major Movie Role; Giambattista Valli Launches Second Ready-to-Wear Line|The Fashion Beast Team|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As India gained freedom, and matured into herself, the Imperial began to fall apart.
An Indian Icon Reborn: The Imperial Hotel Reclaims Its Glory Days|Esha Chhabra|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If it is of good size, well matured and of good yellowish color, there is necessarily but little difficulty in the operation.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
It has been found by experience that until twenty-two or three the strength is not completely matured.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
I ate nothing and drank nothing during the day, and by nine o'clock I had matured the plan that we carried into execution.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
The more matured Quakers and Quakeresses generally gravitate hitherwards.
Our Churches and Chapels|Atticus
Their liking had matured into an attachment, which might have been predicated upon their consonance of feeling and sentiment.
Alone|Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for mature

mature

/ (məˈtjʊə, -ˈtʃʊə) /

adjective

relatively advanced physically, mentally, emotionally, etc; grown-up

(of plans, theories, etc) fully considered; perfected

due or payablea mature debenture

biology

fully developed or differentiateda mature cell
fully grown; adulta mature animal

(of fruit, wine, cheese, etc) ripe or fully aged

(of a river valley or land surface) in the middle stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by meanders, maximum relief, etcSee also youthful (def. 4), old (def. 18)

verb

to make or become mature

(intr) (of notes, bonds, etc) to become due for payment or repayment

Derived forms of mature

maturely, adverbmatureness, noun

Word Origin for mature

C15: from Latin mātūrus early, developed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for mature

mature

[ mə-chur′, -tur′ ]

adj.

Having reached full natural growth or development.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of full mental or physical development.

To evolve toward or reach full development.

mature

OTHER WORDS FOR mature

OPPOSITES FOR mature

Origin of mature

synonym study for mature

OTHER WORDS FROM mature

Words related to mature

How to use mature in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mature

Derived forms of mature

Word Origin for mature

Medical definitions for mature