adulthood

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *h₂oléyeti Proto-Italic *oleō Latin *oleō Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Italic *-skō Latin -sco Latin olēscō Latin adolēscō Latin adultuslbor. French adultebor. English adult Proto-Indo-European *keyt-der. Proto-Germanic *haiduzder. Proto-West Germanic *-haiduder. Old English -hād Middle English -hede English -hood English adulthood From adult + -hood.

1. The state or condition, for humans and other animals, of physical and psychological maturity: being an adult.

   “Meronyms: young adulthood; emerging adulthood (sometimes construed as coordinate)”

   “Adulthood enables us to survive in the wilderness.”

2. The time period of a person's majority, following puberty and lasting until death.

   “Meronyms: young adulthood; emerging adulthood (sometimes construed as coordinate)”

   “The boy entered adulthood by undergoing a rite of passage.”