adult Hear it!

adult Definition

adult (ə dult′, ad′ult′)

adjective

  1. grown up; mature in age, size, strength, etc.
  2. of or for adult persons an adult novel
  3. containing or providing pornography adult movies

Etymology: L adultus, pp. of adolescere: see adolescent

noun

  1. a man or woman who is fully grown up; mature person
  2. an animal or plant that is fully developed
  3. a person who has reached the age of majority, now generally 18 years

adult Related Forms
adult′·hood noun adult′·ness noun
adult Synonyms

adult

modif.

of age, mature, grown, developed; see mature 1, ripe 2. See syn. study atripe.

adult Synonyms

adult

n.

mature person, grown-up, fully developed member of a species; see man 2, woman 1.

adult Law Definition

n

A person who has attained the age of majority. See age.
adult Usage Examples

Converse of object

    Converse of subject

    • accomapnied: Children under 16 must be accomapnied by an adult How many NEW volunteers required?
    • accompany: Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
    • supervise: Under 18's may not control the boat unless supervised by an adult.

    Adjective modifier

    • vulnerable: Here are just a few:- Acting as Appropriate Adults - for young people and vulnerable adults in Police custody.
    • young: Young adults The economic situation of young adults is often fragile.
    • accompanying: Of these, 45 were with a parent, guardian or accompanying adult.
    • disabled: The placement is a live-in school devoted to caring for mentally disabled Japanese adults.
    • deaf: He currently has no contact with deaf adults and sign in Zanzibar is not well developed.
    • mature: A genuine feelgood movie that will have mature adults queuing for tickets.

    Modifies a noun

    • learner: The activity must take place in adult learners week.
    • literacy: Provides food, clothes, unconditional love and support, 12-step program, adult literacy, help for ex-offenders, advocacy.
    • male: The long-lasting decline in cycling may have bottomed out, partly because adult males are actually cycling a little more than ten years ago.
    • education: Located in central London, the Mary Ward Center is a bustling adult education college that attracts over 7,000 students each year.
    • learning: She has degrees in Sociology and Theology and specializes in adult learning, and also the changing pattern of relationships in the modern world.
    • population: Participants Random sample of the adult population of Hamilton, Ontario.

    Noun used with modifier

    • working-age: Guaranteed issue laws to other african accessed on may working-age adults or.

    Preposition: with

    • incapacity: Two courses about intervention and guardianship orders under the Adults with Incapacity ( Scotland ) Act 2000 are being held in 2003.
    • autism: Autism Resource Center This is a new service for adults with Autism in the Greater Glasgow area.
    • disability: It is less than a mile from Hosanna House, HCPT's holiday home for children and adults with disabilities.
adult Quotes

The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors, and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance.

—Angelou, Maya originally MayaJohnson

English children have lost their innocence, for their first lessons have been in the exploitation of their adult slave.

—Greer, Germaine

Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult.

—Olivier, Laurence Kerr, Baron