adult

A2 Topic:People & Society

US /əˈdʌlt/ UK /ˈæd.ʌlt/ See IPA manual

adj noun verb Freq #2840

Meanings

1

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

The ticket costs ten dollars for adults and five for children.
2

adj
Fully grown.

An adult elephant can weigh several tonnes.
3

adj
Intended for grown-ups rather than children, often because of sexual content.

The website restricts adult content to users over eighteen.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a fully grown person who is... grown up

2 adj · fully grown. big

3 adj · intended for grown-ups... pornographic

More adultlikeblue full-growngrowed-upgrown-up grownup indecent obscenepostpubescentsalaciousx-rated

Opposites

child youngling

Word family

Forms adults

Derived forms adultcentrismadultescentadulticideadultificationadultifyadultishadultismadultivityadultizationadultizeadultlikeadultly

Related forms adolescent adulthoodadultlikemature

Etymology

From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.

*h₂el- (grow) Proto-Indo-European adulte French adultus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

# adult

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun, verb
**IPA (US):** əˈdʌlt
**IPA (UK):** ˈæd.ʌlt
**Frequency rank:** 2840

## Meanings
1. A fully grown person who is no longer a child.
2. Fully grown.
3. Intended for grown-ups rather than children, often because of sexual content.

## Examples
- The ticket costs ten dollars for adults and five for children.
- An adult elephant can weigh several tonnes.
- The website restricts adult content to users over eighteen.

## Synonyms
- adultlike
- blue
- full-grown
- growed-up
- grown-up
- grownup
- indecent
- obscene
- pornographic
- postpubescent
- salacious
- x-rated

## Antonyms
- child
- youngling

## Derived Forms
- adultcentrism
- adultescent
- adulticide
- adultification
- adultify
- adultish
- adultism
- adultivity
- adultization
- adultize
- adultlike
- adultly

## Related Forms
- adolescent
- adulthood
- adultlike
- mature

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂el- (grow)
- Root: adulte
- Root: adultus

## Etymology
From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.

## AI Etymology
Adult comes from French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (grow).

## Topics
- People & Society

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adult

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