grown

The word “grown” means having reached adulthood or full physical maturity. In plain terms, fully developed or matured, or covered in growth.

“Grown” is pronounced grohn (/ɡɹoʊn/ in IPA).

Here is “grown” used in a sentence: “She has three grown children living abroad.”

Words with a similar meaning to “grown” include grown up and mature.

“Grown” is an adjective.

The word “grown” comes from Middle English. The past participle of grow, formed with the Middle English ending -en.

“Grown” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Grown” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having reached adulthood or full physical maturity.

As adjectives they are close. Grown means fully developed or adult, as in a grown man or a grown tree. Grown-up applies mainly to people, meaning adult in age or behaviour, and also works as a noun — the grown-ups — which grown alone does not.

Both come from the verb grow. Grew is the simple past tense — she grew three inches last year. Grown is the past participle, used with have or as an adjective — the children have grown, or a grown adult. Mixing them, as in he has grew, is a common error.

Grown describes something that has reached full maturity: a grown man, a grown woman, or grown children living on their own. It also applies beyond people, as in a fully grown tree or a grown animal, in each case stressing that development is complete.

No. While phrases like a grown man or grown children are common, grown describes any living thing that has reached full size or maturity. A fully grown oak, a grown horse, or a grown cat all use the word, meaning growth is finished and adult form reached.