/ˈæd.ʌlt/, /ˈæd.əlt/, /əˈdʌlt/
OriginFrom French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“I 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 ”
- A person who has reached the legal age of majority.
- 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.”
- Containing situations or discussions intended primarily for adults, such as serious crime, illicit drug use, extramarital affairs, etc.
“adult situations; adult discussions”
- Containing alcohol, intended for consumption only by adults.
“an adult drink; an adult root beer float”
- usuallyContaining marijuana, intended for consumption only by adults.
“an adult cookie; adult gummy worms”
- Containing material of an explicit sexual nature; pornographic.
“an adult movie”
“This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised.”
- Containing excessive vulgar or profane speech, text or images, intended only for adults.
“adult language; an adult cartoon”
- Intended for, or restricted to, those who are not young children.
“an adult menu; an adult fare”
“Children go free, but for those 12 and up, you must purchase an adult ticket.”
“The Storehouse is open daily from 09:30 to 17:00, except for during July and August when it stays open until 19:00. Adult admission is €14, children under 12 pay €5, and children under 6 go free. You ”
- intransitive, slangTo behave like an adult.
- nonstandard, rareTo (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.”
Formsadults(plural) · more adult(comparative) · most adult(superlative) · adults(present, singular, third-person) · adulting(participle, present) · adulted(participle, past) · adulted(past)