adult
noun
- living organism that has reached sexual maturity
- human who has lived beyond childhood and adolescence
adjective
- of full age, not a child
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈæd.ʌlt/ / /ˈæd.əlt/ / /əˈdʌlt/
adj
Etymology: From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.
- Fully grown.
“an adult human, animal, or plant”
“The paws of the adult brown bear, and also their hams, especially when smoked, are considered a great delicacy.”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“adult clothes; adult cereal; an adult documentary”
“In May 1967 the WGBH Education Division submitted an initial proposal to HUD for a series of four adult television documentaries on conservation in an urban environment.”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“adult situations; adult discussions”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“an adult drink; an adult root beer float”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“an adult cookie; adult gummy worms”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“an adult movie”
“This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised.”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“adult language; an adult cartoon”
- Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
“an adult menu; an adult fare”
“Children go free, but for those 12 and up, you must purchase an adult ticket.”
noun
Etymology: From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.
- An animal that is full-grown.
“The young not only differs from the adult by the presence of its gills, but its feet are only developed by degrees, and in several genera there are also a deciduous beak and tail, and intestines of a different form”
- A person who has reached the legal age of majority.
verb
Etymology: From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.
- To behave like an adult.
“Adulting is hard!”
- To (cause to) be or become an adult.
“Womanhood was achieved at twenty-one, when the female was "adulted"; manhood was fully achieved at twenty-five, […]”
“The process of adulting children[…] overlaps with the process of the uncontrolled infiltration of the media[…] into children’s imagination.”