adult - Definitions from Dictionary.com

9 results for: adult

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

a·dult

Audio Help [uh-duhlt, ad-uhlt] Pronunciation Key

–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.

[Origin: 1525–35; 1925–30 for def. 3; < L adultus grown (ptp. of adolére to make grow), equiv. to ad- ad- + ul- (identical with base al- in aliment, ol- in prolific) + -tus ptp. suffix

]

—Related forms

a·dult·hood, noun

a·dult·like, adjective

a·dult·ly, adverb

a·dult·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
adult

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

a·dult Audio Help (ə-dŭlt', ād'ŭlt) Pronunciation Key
n.

One who has attained maturity or legal age.
Biology A fully grown, mature organism.

adj.

Fully developed and mature.
Relating to, intended for, or befitting adults: adult education.
Containing or dealing in explicitly sexual material; pornographic: adult movies; adult bookstores.

[From Latin adultus, past participle of adolēscere, to grow up; see adolescent.]

a·dult'hood' n., a·dult'ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
adult (adj.)

1531 (but not common until mid-17c.), from L. adultus, 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 1658.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

adult
adjective
1.	(of animals) fully developed; "an adult animal"; "a grown woman"
2.	designed to arouse lust; "pornographic films and magazines"; "adult movies" [syn: pornographic]
noun
1.	a fully developed person from maturity onward [ant: juvenile]
2.	any mature animal

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
adult1 [ˈӕdalt, (especially American) əˈdalt] adjective

fully grown
Example: an adult gorilla

Arabic:	بَالِغ
Chinese (Simplified):	成年人的
Chinese (Traditional):	成年人的
Czech:	dospělý
Danish:	voksen; fuldvoksen
Dutch:	volwassen
Estonian:	täiskasvanud
Finnish:	täysikasvuinen
French:	adulte
German:	erwachsen
Greek:	ενήλικος
Hungarian:	kifejlett
Icelandic:	fullorðinn, fulltíða
Indonesian:	dewasa
Italian:	adulto

Japanese:	大人の
Korean:	성장한
Latvian:	pieaudzis
Lithuanian:	suaugęs
Norwegian:	voksen, utvokst
Polish:	dorosły
Portuguese (Brazil):	adulto
Portuguese (Portugal):	adulto
Romanian:	adult
Russian:	взрослый
Slovak:	dospelý
Slovenian:	odrasel
Spanish:	adulto
Swedish:	vuxen
Turkish:	yetişkin, erişkin

adult2 [ˈӕdalt, (especially American) əˈdalt] adjective

mature
Example: adult behaviour

Arabic:	نَاضِج، بَالِغ،رَاشِد
Chinese (Simplified):	成熟的
Chinese (Traditional):	成熟的
Czech:	zralý, dospělý
Danish:	moden; voksen
Dutch:	volwassen
Estonian:	küps
Finnish:	kypsä
French:	adulte
German:	erwachsen
Greek:	ώριμος
Hungarian:	felnőtt
Icelandic:	þroskaður, fullorðins-
Indonesian:	dewasa, matang
Italian:	adulto

Japanese:	成熟した
Korean:	성숙한, 원숙한
Latvian:	pieauguša-
Lithuanian:	suaugusio žmogaus
Norwegian:	moden, voksen
Polish:	dojrzały
Portuguese (Brazil):	adulto
Portuguese (Portugal):	adulto
Romanian:	matur
Russian:	зрелый
Slovak:	zrelý, dospelý
Slovenian:	zrel
Spanish:	adulto
Swedish:	vuxen, mogen
Turkish:	olgun, aklı başında

adult [ˈӕdalt, (especially American) əˈdalt] noun

a fully grown human being
Example: That film is suitable only for adults.

Arabic:	إنْسَان بَالِغ، رَاشِد
Chinese (Simplified):	成年人
Chinese (Traditional):	成年人
Czech:	dospělý člověk
Danish:	voksen
Dutch:	volwassene
Estonian:	täiskasvanu
Finnish:	aikuinen
French:	adulte
German:	der, *die Erwachsene(r)
Greek:	ενήλικας
Hungarian:	felnőtt
Icelandic:	fullorðinn
Indonesian:	orang dewasa
Italian:	adulto

Japanese:	大人
Korean:	성인
Latvian:	pieaugušais; pieaudzis cilvēks
Lithuanian:	suaugęs žmogus
Norwegian:	voksen
Polish:	dorosły
Portuguese (Brazil):	adulto
Portuguese (Portugal):	adulto
Romanian:	adult
Russian:	взрослый
Slovak:	dospelý
Slovenian:	odrasla oseba
Spanish:	adulto
Swedish:	vuxen människa
Turkish:	büyük, ergin kimse

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Adult

Ad`o*les"cent\ ([a^]d`[-o]*l[e^]s"sent), a. [L. adolescens, p. pr. of adolescere to grow up to; ad + the inchoative olescere to grow: cf. F. adolescent. See Adult.] Growing; advancing from childhood to maturity.

Schools, unless discipline were doubly strong, Detain their adolescent charge too long. --Cowper.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Adult

A*dult"\, a. [L. adultus, p. p. of adolescere, akin to alere to nourish: cf. F. adulte. See Adolescent, Old.] Having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; as, an adult person or plant; an adult ape; an adult age.

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