maturity
Americannoun
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the state of being mature; ripeness.
The fruit will reach maturity in a few days.
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full development; perfected condition.
maturity of judgment; to bring a plan to maturity.
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Finance.
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the state of being due.
There is always the danger that if you have to sell your home before maturity of your mortgage, you won't net enough cash from the sale to repay the loan in full.
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The loan has reached its maturity and must be paid back in full.
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Usually maturities bonds and other investments having a fixed term.
Some investors prefer short-term maturities to avoid tying up their money for a long period.
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noun
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the state or quality of being mature; full development
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finance
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the date upon which a bill of exchange, bond, note, etc, becomes due for repayment
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the state of a bill, note, etc, when due
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Usage
What does maturity mean? Maturity is the state of having reached a stage of full or advanced development. Maturity is a noun form of mature, which is commonly used as an adjective generally meaning fully developed (as a verb, mature generally means to fully develop). If a person shows or has maturity, they are mature, meaning they act grown-up. When an animal has reached maturity, it has reached adulthood. When a fruit has reached maturity, it’s ripe. Maturity is also used in the context of finance to refer to the state of something being due for repayment, such as a bond. Example: Some of my students show maturity, but the rest of them act like preschoolers.
Other Word Forms
- nonmaturity noun
- overmaturity noun
- semimaturity noun
Etymology
Origin of maturity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English maturite, from Middle French maturite or directly from Latin mātūritāt-, stem of mātūritās “ripeness, full development”; mature, -ity
Explanation
When something reaches its full level of development, it has achieved maturity. Easy enough when you're a perfectly ripe peach. Maturity in humans is not so easy to accomplish or achieve. Some people might be physically mature, which is to say that they are fully physically grown, but don't yet exhibit signs of emotional maturity — such as a willingness to accept responsibility, or maintain poise in serious situations — for a long time afterward.
Vocabulary lists containing maturity
"High School Football"
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 2
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 18
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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.
Caught in a web of bureaucratic intrigue, he wrestles with matters of maturity, morality, conscience and redemption he has long evaded.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
These young animals would have been able to feed themselves, avoid predators, and reach maturity quickly.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Bitcoin is increasingly behaving like a “risk-on” asset, driven by market maturity and growing institutional investment.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Second, private-credit funds do little of the maturity transformation that lies at the heart of banking instability.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
His shoulders swayed a little with maturity and importance.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
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.
