Nearby Words
adjective
1.
having attained full size and strength; grown up; mature: an adult person, animal, or plant.
2.
of, pertaining to, or befitting adults.
3.
intended for adults; not suitable for children: adult entertainment.
noun
4.
a person who is fully grown or developed or of age.
5.
a full-grown animal or plant.
6.
a person who has attained the age of maturity as specified by law.
00:10
00:09
00:08
00:07
00:06
00:05
00:04
00:03
00:02
00:01
Adult
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Origin:
1525–35; 1925–30 for def. 3; < Latin adultus grown (past participle of adolēre to make grow), equivalent to ad- ad- + ul- (identical with base al- in aliment, ol- in prolific) + -tus past participle suffix
1525–35; 1925–30 for def. 3; < Latin adultus grown (past participle of adolēre to make grow), equivalent to ad- ad- + ul- (identical with base al- in aliment, ol- in prolific) + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
a·dult·hood, noun
a·dult·like, adjective
a·dult·ly, adverb
a·dult·ness, noun
non·a·dult, adjective, noun
EXPANDqua·si-a·dult, adjective
sub·a·dult, adjective, noun
sub·a·dult·ness, noun
un·a·dult, adjective
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Adult
Example Sentences
- Eighty-six adult pandas have also been confirmed safe.
- Every society, of course, has the right to protect children from adult material.
- Both work with adult stem cells, which are isolated from tissues or organs rather than embryos.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| adult (ˈædʌlt, əˈdʌlt) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | having reached maturity; fully developed |
| 2. | of or intended for mature people: adult education |
| 3. | regarded as suitable only for adults, because of being pornographic: adult films and magazines |
| —n | |
| 4. | a person who has attained maturity; a grownup |
| 5. | a mature fully grown animal or plant |
| 6. | law Compare infant a person who has attained the age of legal majority (18 years for most purposes) |
| [C16: from Latin adultus, from adolēscere to grow up, from alēscere to grow, from alēre to feed, nourish] | |
| 'adulthood | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
adult
1530s (but not common until mid-17c.), from L. adultus "grown up," pp. of adolescere "grow up, mature" (see adolescent). As a euphemism for "pornographic," it dates to 1958 and does no honor to the word. The noun meaning "adult person" is from 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
adult a·dult (ə-dŭlt', ād'ŭlt)
n.
One who has attained maturity or legal age.
A fully grown, mature organism.
Fully developed and mature.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
