adult

The word “adult” means a person who has reached the age of legal maturity, typically 18 or older. In plain terms, a grown person, or something meant for grown-ups.

“Adult” is pronounced AD-uhlt (/ˈæd.ʌlt/ in IPA).

Here is “adult” used in a sentence: “Only adults are permitted to sign the lease.”

Words with a similar meaning to “adult” include grown-up, grownup, growed-up, postpubescent, fully grown and grown up.

The opposite of “adult” — its antonyms — are child and youngling.

Depending on how it is used, “adult” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “adult” comes from Latin. From Latin adultus ("grown up"), the past participle of adolescere ("to grow up") — the same root as adolescent.

“Adult” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

In most countries the legal age of adulthood, or majority, is 18, when a person gains rights such as voting and signing contracts. Some places set it at 19 or 21, and certain activities like drinking may carry a higher age limit even after adulthood legally begins.

A minor is someone below the legal age of adulthood, usually under 18, who lacks certain rights and responsibilities. An adult has reached that age and is legally accountable for their own decisions, contracts, and actions. The dividing line between the two is what the law calls the age of majority.

They mean much the same thing, but adult is the formal, legal term tied to a specific age, while grown-up is informal and often used by or with children. Grown-up can also describe mature behaviour, whereas adult points mainly to having reached legal age rather than to how someone acts.

No. As an adjective it can also mean mature or suitable for grown-ups, and it serves as a polite label for explicit content. In biology, adult describes any fully grown animal or plant, not just a person who has reached the legal age of maturity.