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Mature

 - 7 dictionary results

ma⋅ture

  [muh-toor, -tyoor, -choor, -chur] adjective, -tur⋅er, -tur⋅est, verb, -tured, -tur⋅ing.
Use Mature in a Sentence
–adjective
1. complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms: a mature rose bush.
2. ripe, as fruit, or fully aged, as cheese or wine.
3. fully developed in body or mind, as a person: a mature woman.
4. pertaining to or characteristic of full development: a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness.
5. completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind: mature plans.
6. (of an industry, technology, market, etc.) no longer developing or expanding; having little or no potential for further growth or expansion; exhausted or saturated.
7. intended for or restricted to adults, esp. by reason of explicit sexual content or the inclusion of violence or obscene language: mature movies.
8. composed of adults, considered as being less susceptible than minors to explicit sexual content, violence, or obscene language, as of a film or stage performance: for mature audiences only.
9. Finance. having reached the limit of its time; having become payable or due: a mature bond.
10. Medicine/Medical.
a. having attained definitive form or function, as by maturation of an epithelium from a basal layer.
b. having attained the end stage of a normal or abnormal biological process: a mature boil.
11. Geology. (of a landscape) exhibiting the stage of maximum topographical diversity, as in the cycle of erosion of a land surface.
–verb (used with object)
12. to make mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.
13. to bring to full development: His hard experiences in the city matured him.
14. to complete or perfect.
–verb (used without object)
15. to become mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.
16. to come to full development: Our plans have not yet matured.
17. Finance. to become due, as a note.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L mātūrus ripe, timely, early; akin to manes, matutinal

Related forms:
ma⋅ture⋅ly, adverb
ma⋅ture⋅ment, noun
ma⋅ture⋅ness, noun
ma⋅tur⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1, 3. aged, grown, adult. 2. See ripe. 5. ready, prepared. 12, 15. age, develop.

Antonyms:
1, 3. childish, raw, green, young.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Mature
ma·ture   (mə-tyŏŏr', -tŏŏr', -chŏŏr')   
adj.   ma·tur·er, ma·tur·est

    1. Having reached full natural growth or development: a mature cell.

    2. Having reached a desired or final condition; ripe: a mature cheese.

    3. Suitable or intended for adults: mature subject matter.

    4. Composed of adults: a mature audience.

  2. Of, relating to, or characteristic of full development, either mental or physical: mature for her age.

    1. Suitable or intended for adults: mature subject matter.

    2. Composed of adults: a mature audience.

  4. Worked out fully by the mind; considered: a mature plan of action.

  5. Having reached the limit of its time; due: a mature bond.

  6. No longer subject to great expansion or development. Used of an industry, a market, or a product.

  7. Geology Having reached maximum development of form. Used of streams and landforms.

v.   ma·tured, ma·tur·ing, ma·tures

v.   tr.

  1. To bring to full development; ripen.

  2. To work out fully in the mind: "able to digest and mature my thoughts for my own mind only" (John Stuart Mill).

v.   intr.

  1. To evolve toward or reach full development: The child's judgment matures as she grows older.

  2. To become due. Used of notes and bonds.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mātūrus; see mā-1 in Indo-European roots.]
ma·ture'ly adv., ma·ture'ness n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to bring or come to full development or maximum excellence: maturing the wines in vats; aged the brandy for 100 years; developed the flavor slowly; fruits that were ripened on the vine.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

mature  (v.)
1392, (implied in maturative), from L. maturare "to ripen," from maturus "ripe, timely, early," related to manus "good" and mane "early, of the morning" (see mañana). The financial sense of "reach the time for payment" is from 1861. The adj. is first recorded 1454, from the noun. Maturity (c.1375) is from L. maturitatem (nom. maturitas) "ripeness," from maturus "ripe."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ma·ture
Pronunciation: m&-'tur, -'chur
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: ma·tured; ma·tur·ing
transitive verb : to bring to maturity matured by the death of the insured> intransitive verb : to become due, payable, or enforceable; specifically : to entitle one to immediate enjoyment of benefits matured upon retirement> —compare VEST —mature adjective
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1ma·ture
Pronunciation: m&-'t(y)u(&)r also -'chu(&)r
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms:ma·tur·er; -est
1 : having completed natural growth and development mature ovary>
2 : having undergone maturation<mature germ cells>

Main Entry: 2mature
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: ma·tured; ma·tur·ing
transitive senses
: to bring tomaturity or completion mature intransitive senses
: to become fully developed or ripe —maturer noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

mature ma·ture (mə-ty&oobreve;r', -t&oobreve;r', -ch&oobreve;r')
adj.

  1. Having reached full natural growth or development.

  2. Of, relating to, or characteristic of full mental or physical development.

v. ma·tured, ma·tur·ing, ma·tures
To evolve toward or reach full development.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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