adult
adjective
\ ə-ˈdəlt
, ˈa-ˌdəlt
\
, ˈa-ˌdəlt
\
Definition of adult
(Entry 1 of 3)
adult
nounDefinition of adult (Entry 2 of 3)
: one that is adult
especially
: a human being after an age (such as 21) specified by law
adult
verb
adulted;
adulting;
adults
Definition of adult (Entry 3 of 3)
informal
1
: to behave like an adult : to attend to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult
Do we really have to adult today?— Lauren Merola Stop complaining that you have to adult today. Being an adult is awesome.— Suzanne Lucas Learning how to "adult" is a necessity for these college freshmen in order to figure out new medication schedules and if their parents' insurance will cover impromptu ER visits.— Meredith Newman
2
: to become an adult
It could be something small, like bailing on your friends at the last second. Or something bigger, like not showing up for work. Whatever the case may be, it's a sign you haven't fully "adulted" if you constantly slack off on your responsibilities.— Carolyn Steber But there is one real benefit to growing older and adulting: We essentially get to do whatever we want to do.— Sharon Pope
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Other Words from adult
Adjective
adulthood
\ ə-ˈdəlt-ˌhu̇d
\
noun
\
noun
adultly
\ ə-ˈdəlt-lē
, ˈa-ˌdəlt- \
adverb
, ˈa-ˌdəlt- \
adverb
adultness
\ ə-ˈdəlt-nəs
, ˈa-ˌdəlt- \
noun
, ˈa-ˌdəlt- \
noun
Noun
adultlike
\ ə-ˈdəlt-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Verb
adulting
noun
True financial adulting goes beyond paying your bills on time. It's also about planning for the future.
— Mary Crawley
Adulting does not have to be scary. Some students … feel as though they are comfortable with their ability to live on their own. But for those who do not, Residence Life at Elizabethtown College will hold another series of adulting sessions after Spring Break. These will be open to all students to try to help ease the transition out of college.
— Meghan Kenney
Synonyms & Antonyms for adult
Synonyms: Adjective
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of adult in a Sentence
Adjective
preparing children for adult life We need to approach this in an adult way.Noun
Her books appeal both to children and to adults. Children must be accompanied by an adult in the museum. Only adults can purchase alcohol. This film is for adults only. Minors are not admitted. People who are close friends as children aren't always friends as adults. studying interactions between young birds and adults
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
One of the most powerful op-eds featured today is from Dalia Gómez de Hernández, a mother whose two adult children had difficult experiences with Providence schools. — Dan Mcgowan, BostonGlobe.com, "A national teachers’ union is polling the state takeover of Providence schools," 3 Sep. 2019 Conan noted Bensman has no prior criminal record, two adult children and five grandchildren, all age 5 or younger, including an infant. — Stephen Hudak, orlandosentinel.com, "Facing child porn charges, retired FBI agent wants contact with grandkids," 27 Aug. 2019 The Montemaranos followed their adult children to San Diego and bought a house in Rancho Peñasquitos in September 1987. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Local veteran, 93, earns his high school diploma, 75 years later," 25 Aug. 2019 Police in Georgia are investigating what led a 58-year-old woman to fatally shoot her two adult children before turning the gun on herself, PEOPLE confirms. — Chris Harris, PEOPLE.com, "Georgia Mom Kills Two Adult Kids, Herself Days After Posting 'I Could Not Ask for Better Children'," 22 Aug. 2019 Bergy stories flowed at a reception at a Coliseum suite for friends and family, including his adult children Anne and Adam. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "A’s do the right thing by honoring a part of their past," 21 Aug. 2019 When Logan is hospitalized after a debilitating brain hemorrhage, his adult children scramble for control of the company. — Meredith Blake, chicagotribune.com, "Matthew Macfadyen is as mortified by ‘Succession’ as you are," 12 Aug. 2019 The couple has two adult children, and neither was interested in continuing the restaurant. — Carol Cain, Detroit Free Press, "Ginopolis, once a Playboy hot bar and spot for stars, closing after 37," 10 Aug. 2019 For some wealthy parents, the pressure to extend their social and financial status to their adult children can be overwhelming. — Anna Bahney, CNN, "Why wealthy parents who bankroll their adult children are hurting them," 23 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
By some estimates, around 80% of American adults carry some form of debt. — Stacey Leasca, Time, "Struggling to Repay Your Debt? The Snowball Method Could Help," 3 Sep. 2019 The city of Odessa, late Monday afternoon, named all six of the adults killed: Joe Griffith, 40; Mary Granados, 29; Edwin Peregrino, 25; Rodolfo Julio Arco, 57; Kameron Karltess Brown, 30; and Raul Garcia, 35. — NBC News, "Texas gunman purchased weapon in private sale, which doesn't require background check," 3 Sep. 2019 With more than 300 hospitals and a higher share of older adults than any other state, emergency plans for Florida's hospitals were a critical issue facing emergency planners during those storms. — Daniel B. Hess, CNN, "How do hospitals prepare for hurricanes?," 2 Sep. 2019 In the past decade, nearly seventy per cent of young adults in their twenties have received money from their parents. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "Student Debt Is Transforming the American Family," 2 Sep. 2019 With more than 300 hospitals and a higher share of older adults than any other state, emergency plans for Florida’s hospitals were a critical issue facing emergency planners during those storms. — Daniel B. Hess, Quartz, "How Florida hospitals are getting ready for Hurricane Dorian," 30 Aug. 2019 Society certainly lives with the ramifications of the harm adults do to children, from crime to long-term trauma. — Byron Mccauley, Cincinnati.com, "Kids are dying and being abused. Let's be there for them.," 29 Aug. 2019 Every year, only about half of American adults get the vaccine that prevents it. — Wired, "Why Denying Migrants Flu Shots Is a Dangerous, Foolish Move," 28 Aug. 2019 While social media use has expanded among those over the age of 65 over the last few years, no platform is used by more than 46% of adults over 65. — Joseph Cabosky, The Conversation, "4 reasons why social media election data can misread public opinion," 28 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adult.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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