adult

A2 Topic:People & Society

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

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

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

adult male
a fully grown male person

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Adult entered English in the mid-16th century and comes from Latin adolescere, “to grow to maturity,” the source also of adolescent. The deeper root is alere, “to nourish” or “give food to,” through alescere, “to grow up.”

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

External links

# adult

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**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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