adult

English Online Dictionary. What means adult‎? What does adult mean?

English

Etymology

From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“I grow up”). Compare adolescent.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈæd.ʌlt/, /ˈæd.əlt/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /əˈdʌlt/, /ˈæd.əlt/
• Rhymes: -ʌlt

Noun

adult (plural adults)

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

Synonyms

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

Translations

Adjective

adult (comparative more adult, superlative most 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; of, or pertaining to, pornography.

      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

Derived terms

Related terms

• adolescent
• adulthood

Translations

Verb

adult (third-person singular simple present adults, present participle adulting, simple past and past participle adulted)

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

3. (nonstandard, rare) To (cause to) be or become an adult.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:adult.

Further reading

• “adult”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “adult”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• talud

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin adultus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [əˈðul]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [əˈðult]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [aˈðult]

Adjective

adult (feminine adulta, masculine plural adults, feminine plural adultes)

1. adult (fully grown)

Derived terms

• adultesa

Noun

adult m (plural adults, feminine adulta)

1. adult (fully grown person)

Further reading

• “adult” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

adult (strong nominative masculine singular adulter, not comparable)

1. (medicine) adult

Declension

See also

• erwachsen
• Erwachsener, Erwachsene

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdult/

Adjective

adult m or n (feminine singular adultă, masculine plural adulți, feminine and neuter plural adulte)

1. adult

Declension

Noun

adult m (plural adulți, feminine equivalent adultă)

1. adult

Declension