adult

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Etymology

From , from , perfect passive participle of adolescō ("I grow up").

Pronunciation

• (RP, Australia, Canada) IPA: /ˈæd.ʌlt/, /ˈæd.əlt/
• (America, Canada) IPA: /əˈdʌlt/, /ˈæd.əlt/

Noun

adult (plural adults)

1. A fully grown human or other animal.
2. A person who has reached the legal age of majority.

Synonyms

• (fully grown human or other animal) grown up; see also Thesaurus:adult

Translations

• French: adulte, grande personne, grand
• German: Erwachsener, Erwachsene
• Italian: adulto, adulta
• Portuguese: adulto, adulta
• Russian: взро́слый
• Spanish: adulto, adulta

Adjective

adult

1. Fully grown.

   an adult human, animal, or plant

2. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.

   adult clothes; adult cereal; an adult documentary

   • 1973, Marshall Kaplan, Gans, and Kahn, Children and the urban environment (page 21)

     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.

   1. Containing situations or discussions intended primarily for adults, such as serious crime, illicit drug use, extramarital affairs, etc.

      adult situations; adult discussions

   2. (of a beverage) Containing alcohol, intended for consumption only by adults.

      an adult drink; an adult root beer float

   3. (of a cookie, gummy, etc.) Containing marijuana, intended for consumption only by adults.

      an adult cookie; adult gummy worms

   4. Containing material of an explicit sexual nature; pornographic.

      an adult movie

      This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised.

   5. Containing excessive vulgar or profane speech, text or images, intended only for adults.

      adult language; an adult cartoon

Synonyms

• (fully grown) big, fully grown, grown up; see also Thesaurus:full-grown
• (intended for adults) grown up; see also Thesaurus:adultlike or Thesaurus:for adults
• (containing explicit sexual material) pornographic, X-rated, XXX, XXXX; see also Thesaurus:pornographic
• (vulgar) blue, indecent, obscene, salacious; see also Thesaurus:obscene

Related terms

• adolescent
• adulthood

Translations

• French: adulte
• German: erwachsen
• Italian: adulto, adulta
• Portuguese: adulto
• Russian: взро́слый
• Spanish: adulto

Translations

• German: für Erwachsene (postpositioned)
• Italian: per adulti
• Russian: для взрослый

Verb

adult (adults, present participle adulting; simple past and past participle adulted)

1. (intransitive, informal) To behave like an adult.

   Adulting is hard!

2. (nonstandard, rare) To (cause to) be or become an adult.

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