What does Adult mean?

Definitions for Adult
əˈdʌlt, ˈæd ʌltadult

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Adult.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. adult, grownupnoun

    a fully developed person from maturity onward

  2. adultadjective

    any mature animal

  3. adult, big, full-grown, fully grown, grown, grownupadjective

    (of animals) fully developed

    "an adult animal"; "a grown woman"

  4. pornographic, adultadjective

    designed to arouse lust

    "pornographic films and magazines"; "adult movies"

Wiktionary

  1. adultnoun

    A fully grown human or animal.

  2. adultnoun

    A person who lives outside the parental home.

  3. adultnoun

    A person whose parents are deceased.

  4. adultadjective

    Of a human or animal, fully grown.

  5. adultadjective

    Intended for adults rather than children.

    adult clothes

  6. adultadjective

    Containing material of an explicit sexual nature

  7. Etymology: adulte, adultus, past participle of adolescere; see adolescent.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. ADULTadjective

    Grown up; past the age of infancy and weakness.

    Etymology: adultus, Lat.

    They would appear less able to approve themselves, not only to the confessor, but even to the catechist, in their adult age, than they were in their minority; as having scarce ever thought of the principles of their religion, since they conned them to avoid correction. Decay of Piety.

    The earth, by these applauded schools, ’tis said,
    This single crop of men and women bred;
    Who grown adult, (so chance, it seems, enjoin’d)
    Did, male and female, propagate their kind. Richard Blackmore.

  2. Adultnoun

    A person above the age of infancy, or grown to some degree of strength; sometimes full grown: a word used chiefly by medicinal writers.

    The depression of the cranium, without a fracture, can but seldom occur; and then it happens to children, whose bones are more pliable and soft than those of adults. Samuel Sharp, Surgery.

Wikipedia

  1. Adult

    Biologically, an adult is a human or other organism that has reached sexual maturity. In human context, the term adult additionally has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. The typical age of attaining legal adulthood is 18, although definition may vary by legal rights and country. Human adulthood encompasses psychological adult development. Definitions of adulthood are often inconsistent and contradictory; a person may be biologically an adult, and have adult behavior but still be treated as a child if they are under the legal age of majority. Conversely, one may legally be an adult but possess none of the maturity and responsibility that may define an adult character. In different cultures there are events that relate passing from being a child to becoming an adult or coming of age. This often encompasses the passing a series of tests to demonstrate that a person is prepared for adulthood, or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.

ChatGPT

  1. adult

    An adult is a biologically mature individual who has reached the age of majority, typically characterized by physical and cognitive development, as well as assumed legal rights and responsibilities. It refers to a person who has reached the stage of full growth and is considered to be fully developed in terms of physical, mental, and emotional capacities. The exact definition of adulthood may vary across cultures and legal systems, as it is often determined by factors such as age, social norms, and legal criteria.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Adultadjective

    having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; as, an adult person or plant; an adult ape; an adult age

  2. Adultnoun

    a person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength; one who has reached maturity

  3. Etymology: [L. adultus, p. p. of adolescere, akin to alere to nourish: cf. F. adulte. See Adolescent, Old.]

Wikidata

  1. Adult

    Biologically, an adult is a human being or other organism that is of reproductive age. In human context, the term adult additionally has meanings associated with social and legal concepts; for example, a legal adult is a legal concept for a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. In addition, human adulthood encompasses psychological adult development. Definitions of adulthood are often inconsistent and contradictory; a person may be biologically an adult, and have adult behavior but still be treated as a child if they are under the legal age of majority. Conversely, one may legally be an adult but possess none of the maturity and responsibility that may define adult character. An event relating to the oncoming of adulthood is coming of age, which encompasses passing a series of tests to demonstrate that a person is prepared for adulthood, or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Adult

    ad-ult′, adj. grown: mature.—n. a grown-up person.—n. Adult′ness. [L. adultusadolescĕre, to grow. See Adolescent.]

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Adult

    A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age.

Editors Contribution

  1. adult

    A person of a known specific age defined in legislation.

    In some countries the defined legal age of an adult is 16, in other countries it is 18.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 16, 2020  

Entomology

  1. Adult

    the stage when an insect is sexually mature and ready to reproduce normally.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Adult' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2240

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Adult' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3659

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Adult' in Nouns Frequency: #601

How to pronounce Adult?

How to say Adult in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Adult in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Adult in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of Adult in a Sentence

  1. Teri Mastando:

    It's a pretty routine idea that now that she is an adult she should be able to handle her own affairs and that she should be able to remain anonymous because of her age when this happened.

  2. Tamara Cartwright:

    She's just starting her adult life.

  3. Christine Carugati:

    What ninth grader knows what they want and what ninth grader, never mind an adult, isn't easily swayed, thinking somebody wants me. It's very intoxicating for any age but for a child especially, so my counsel was to keep all your options open.

  4. Melania Trump:

    We are both very independent -- I let him be who he is and he let me be who I am, i don't try to change him. He's an adult. He knows the consequences and so I let him be who he is. I give him my opinions, many, many times.

  5. Scott Brown:

    We are optimistic that Ethan can complete, successfully complete, his probation once he's transferred to adult court.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Adult#1#821#10000

Translations for Adult

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"Adult." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Adult>.

Discuss these Adult definitions with the community:

1 Comment
  • Brandon Olivince
    Brandon Olivince
    Regarding the 7th definition of adult by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19-year-olds are not adults. They are still teenagers/adolescents. Adulthood doesn't truly start until the age of 20.
    LikeReply3 years ago

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an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something
A slip
B guts
C aspiration
D disguise

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