mature

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/ UK [mət͡ʃoː] See IPA manual

Freq #5281

Meanings

1

adj
Behaving in a sensible, grown-up way.

She is quite mature for her age.
2

adj
Fully grown or developed.

A mature oak tree can be very tall.
3

verb
To become fully grown or developed; to behave in a more sensible way.

Children mature at different rates.
4

verb
(of an investment) To reach the time when it becomes payable.

These bonds mature in five years.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · behaving in a sensible,... adult

3 verb · to become fully grown or... develop

More full-grown grownmaturate

Opposites

childish immature superficial

Word family

Forms maturedmaturelymaturermaturesmaturestmaturing

Derived forms dysmaturehypermaturehypomaturematurablematurasematurationmaturelymaturementmaturenessmaturishmaturitynonmature

Related forms full-grown

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

unusually mature
more sensible and emotionally developed than would normally be expected

Adverb + adjective

Simplified etymology

Mature entered English in the late Middle Ages and comes ultimately from Latin maturus ‘ripe or mature’. The same Latin word also gave rise to Old French mur ‘grave or serious’, which influenced the development of demure.

Etymology

From late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”).

*meh₂- Proto-Indo-European mature Middle English mātūrus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# mature

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/
**IPA (UK):** [mət͡ʃoː]
**Frequency rank:** 5281

## Meanings
1. Behaving in a sensible, grown-up way.
2. Fully grown or developed.
3. To become fully grown or developed; to behave in a more sensible way.
4. (of an investment) To reach the time when it becomes payable.

## Examples
- She is quite mature for her age.
- A mature oak tree can be very tall.
- Children mature at different rates.
- These bonds mature in five years.

## Synonyms
- full-grown
- grown
- maturate

## Antonyms
- childish
- immature
- superficial

## Derived Forms
- dysmature
- hypermature
- hypomature
- maturable
- maturase
- maturation
- maturely
- maturement
- matureness
- maturish
- maturity
- nonmature

## Related Forms
- full-grown

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *meh₂-
- Root: mature
- Root: mātūrus

## Etymology
From late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”).

## AI Etymology
Mature comes from late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”). In present-day English its meanings include behaving in a sensible, grown-up way, fully grown or developed, and to become fully grown or developed; to behave in a more sensible way. The historical chain runs through *meh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), mature (Middle English), mature (Middle French), and mātūrus (Latin). Related and derived forms include full-grown, dysmature, hypermature, and hypomature.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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