adults

noun

A person who has reached the legal age of majority.

An animal that is full-grown.

verb

(intransitive, slang) To behave like an adult.

(nonstandard, rare) To (cause to) be or become an adult.

adjective

Fully grown.

Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.

Containing situations or discussions intended primarily for adults, such as serious crime, illicit drug use, extramarital affairs, etc.

(of a beverage) Containing alcohol, intended for consumption only by adults.

(of a cookie, gummy, etc.) Containing marijuana, intended for consumption only by adults.

Containing material of an explicit sexual nature; pornographic.

Containing excessive vulgar or profane speech, text or images, intended only for adults.

Intended for, or restricted to, those who are not young children.

Roots

alescoult- · Latin · grow

Synonyms & related words for adults

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Words related to adults

Explore words related to adults — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include grownup, preadult, children, adolescents, kids, toddlers, teens, teenagers. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does adults come from?

The word adults breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root ult-, from Latin alesco (“grow”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.