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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Adult Definition: Noun & Adjective with Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：fully grown person (adult)

adult 🔊

/əˈdʌlt/

n., adj.

A person who is fully grown and is no longer a child.

Diverse group of adult professionals discussing in a modern office meeting

fully grown person 🔊

➕

/ˈfʊli ɡroʊn ˈpɜːrsən/

n., adj.

An individual who has reached full physical and mental development, typically beyond the age of 18 or 21, and is legally responsible for their actions.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'adultus', past participle of 'adolescere' meaning 'to grow up'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'a-dult' as 'a dult' — a fully grown person, no longer a child.

📖 Example

When you become an adult, you can vote in elections and get a driver's license. 🔊 When you become an adult, you can vote in elections and get a driver's license.

🔗 Collocations

responsible adult – An adult who can be trusted to make sensible decisions

adult education – Education for people who are no longer children, often for career or personal development

young adult – A person in the early stage of adulthood, roughly ages 18 to 35

🔄 Synonyms

grown-up (n.) – An informal term for an adult, especially one who behaves maturely

man (n.) – An adult male human

woman (n.) – An adult female human

🚫 Antonyms

child (n.) – A young person who is not yet an adult

minor (n.) – A person who is under the legal age of adulthood

adolescent (n.) – A young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult

🌱 Derivatives

adulthood (n.) – The state of being an adult

adultly (adv.) – In a manner typical of an adult

adultness (n.) – The quality of being adult

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'adultus', meaning 'grown up'. It is the past participle of 'adolescere' (to grow), which also gave us 'adolescent'.

Meaning 2：fully grown and mature (adult)

adult 🔊

/əˈdʌlt/

n., adj.

Fully grown and mature. Also used to describe things suitable for or typical of adults.

Mature adult sunflower next to a younger plant in a sunny garden

fully grown and mature 🔊

➕

/ˈfʊli ɡroʊn ænd məˈtʃʊr/

n., adj.

Describes a person, animal, or plant that has reached full growth; also used for content suitable only for grown-ups.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

This movie is for adult audiences only because it has some complex themes. 🔊 This movie is for adult audiences only because it has some complex themes.

🔗 Collocations

adult education – Educational programs designed for adults, often in evening classes or online

adult content – Material that is intended for mature audiences, containing themes like violence or sexuality

adult male – A fully grown male human or animal

🔄 Synonyms

mature (adj.) – Fully developed physically and mentally; having reached adulthood

grown (adj.) – Having reached full size or maturity

fully-developed (adj.) – Complete in growth or maturation

🚫 Antonyms

immature (adj.) – Not yet fully grown or developed

young (adj.) – In an early stage of life; not old

childish (adj.) – Behaving in a way that is typical of a child, not an adult

🌱 Derivatives

adulthood (n.) – The state or condition of being adult

adultly (adv.) – In a manner that is characteristic of an adult

adultness (n.) – The quality of being adult