mature

[ muh-toor, -tyoor, -choor, -chur ]
See synonyms for: maturematuredmaturesmaturing on Thesaurus.com

adjective,ma·tur·er, ma·tur·est.
  1. complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms: a mature rose bush.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  7. 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.

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

  9. 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.

  10. 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.
  1. to make mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

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

  1. 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.
  1. to become mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.

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

  1. Finance. to become due, as a note.

Origin of mature

1
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 for mature

Opposites for mature

Other words from mature

  • ma·ture·ly, adverb
  • ma·ture·ment, noun
  • ma·ture·ness, noun
  • ma·tur·er, noun
  • half-ma·tured, adjective
  • non·ma·ture, adjective
  • non·ma·ture·ly, adverb
  • non·ma·ture·ness, noun
  • o·ver·ma·ture, adjective
  • o·ver·ma·ture·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·ma·ture·ness, noun
  • self-ma·tured, adjective
  • sem·i·ma·ture, adjective
  • sem·i·ma·ture·ly, adverb
  • sem·i·ma·ture·ness, noun
  • un·ma·ture, adjective
  • un·ma·ture·ly, adverb
  • un·ma·tured, adjective
  • un·ma·tur·ing, adjective
  • well-ma·tured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mature in a sentence

  • The anger and rebellion had been comatose in these years of freedom, but the maturer brain was the more uneasy, at times appalled.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • In the last year of the course, the compositions should be such as will test the maturer powers of the pupil.

    English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
  • We must seek "perfection," the profound maturity of the Christian, by a maturer and yet maturer insight into Him.

  • The thing carries itself to my maturer and gratified sense as with every symptom of soundness, an insolence of health and joy.

    The Awkward Age | Henry James
  • Mentally, she could hardly be maturer than the hero-worshipping girl in the procession of Miss Vincent's young seminarists.

British Dictionary definitions for mature

mature

/ (məˈtjʊə, -ˈtʃʊə) /


adjective
  1. relatively advanced physically, mentally, emotionally, etc; grown-up

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

  1. due or payable: a mature debenture

  2. biology

    • fully developed or differentiated: a mature cell

    • fully grown; adult: a mature animal

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

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

verb
  1. to make or become mature

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

Origin of mature

1
C15: from Latin mātūrus early, developed

Derived forms of mature

  • maturely, adverb
  • matureness, noun

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