Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. One who has attained maturity or legal age.
- n. Biology A fully grown, mature organism.
- adj. Fully developed and mature.
- adj. Relating to, intended for, or befitting adults: adult education.
- adj. Containing or dealing in explicitly sexual material; pornographic: adult movies; adult bookstores.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Having arrived at mature years, or attained full size and strength: as, an adult person, animal, or plant.
- Pertaining or relating to adults; suitable for an adult: as, adult age; an adult school.
- n. A person or (sometimes) an animal grown to full size and strength; one who has reached the age of manhood or womanhood.
- n. Specifically: In civil law, a male infant who has attained the age of fourteen, or a female infant who has attained the age of twelve.
- n. In common law, one of the full age of twenty-one.
Wiktionary
- n. A fully grown human or animal.
- n. A person who lives outside the parental home.
- n. A person whose parents are deceased.
- adj. Of a human or animal, fully grown.
- adj. Intended for adults rather than children.
- adj. Containing material or concerning subjects unsuitable (especially sexually) for children
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured.
- n. A person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength; one who has reached maturity.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a fully developed person from maturity onward
- n. any mature animal
- adj. designed to arouse lust
- adj. (of animals) fully developed
Etymologies
- From Latin adultus, past participle of adolēscere, to grow up; see adolescent.
Examples
“WORDS ACCENTED ON THE LAST SYLLABLE: address _address'_ adept _adept'_ adult _adult'_ ally _ally'_ commandant _commandänt '(ä as in arm) _ contour _contour'_ dessert _dessert'_ dilate _dilate'_ excise _eksiz'_ finance _finance'_ grimace _grimace'_ importune _importune'_ occult _occult'_ pretence _pretence'_ research _research'_ robust _robust'_ romance _romance'_ tirade _tirade'_”
“In 1980, when the term adult child of alcoholic, ACOA was coined, ACOAs literally came out of the woodwork, testifying in droves to confusion, resentment...”
“In 1980, when the term adult child of alcoholic, ACOA was coined, ACOAs literally came out of the woodwork, testifying in droves to confusion, resentment and hurt that the child within them still hung onto.”
“Please use the term adult offspring in your online expectorations.”
“When it comes to the term adult soft drink, taste is a priority," claimed Dewey.”
“/You have already to a great extent targeted the population since the word adult is used.”
“The kid understood or at least gave the appearance of understanding, but the years passed and he became what they call an adult and the rats in his mind are still dead, still young.”
“Reznor walks me into what he calls his "adult playpen of knob-twiddling": a small garage converted into an Aladdin's cave of instruments, mixing desks and synthesizer modules, their lights winking in the dark.”
The Guardian: Trent Reznor: 'I'm not at war with myself as I once was'
“You know, there's pop; there's what they call adult contemporary, whatever that may be; and then there's like Sting music.”
“If he's sentenced to prison, which is the most likely outcome if he is convicted, it will be in the hands of what we call the adult authority, which run the prisons themselves.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘adult’.
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Academic Vocabulary
Use these and get promoted
abandon, abandonment, abnormally, abstract, abstraction, abstractly, abstracts, academia, academic, academically, academics, academies and 3092 more...
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Describing People
eye, hair, mouth, nose, tooth, head, face, arm, hand, finger, lip, leg and 212 more...
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Words that start with A
alphabet, alligator, ate, actual, annual, activity, analyze, ability, astronaut, add, ape, aches and 20 more...
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Whooping Crane
Words for the Whooping Crane Alphabet book
ultralight, patuxent, maryland, wisconsin, florida, people, chick, juvenile, adult, swamp monster, teach, learn and 48 more...
qroqqa BrE speakers strongly prefer the stress /'æd-/ to /-'dʌlt/ (84% in a 2007 survey for the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary). Aug 4, 2008
oroboros Daffynition: one who's stopped growing at both ends and now grows just in the middle. Jan 6, 2007