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adult . In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
adult , but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
adult in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
adult you have here. The definition of the word
adult will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
adult , as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From French adulte , from Latin adultus ( “ grown up ” ) , perfect passive participle of adolescō ( “ I grow up ” ) . Compare adolescent .
Pronunciation
Noun
adult (plural adults )
A fully grown human or other animal .
1840 , Georges Cuvier , Edward Blyth, Robert Mudie, George Johnston, J.O. Westwood, “The fourth order of reptiles—The batrachians”, in Cuvier's Animal Kingdom , page 286 :The young not only differs from the adult by the presence of its gills, but its feet are only developed by degrees, and in several genera there are also a deciduous beak and tail, and intestines of a different form
A person who has reached the legal age of majority .
Synonyms
Translations
fully grown human
Afrikaans: grootmens , volwassene
Albanian: i rritur (sq) m
Arabic: بَالِغ m ( bāliḡ ) , رَاشِد (ar) m ( rāšid )
Armenian: մեծահասակ (hy) ( mecahasak ) , չափահաս (hy) ( čʻapʻahas )
Asturian: adultu m , adulta f
Azerbaijani: yaşlı adam , yetkin
Belarusian: даро́слы m ( darósly ) , даро́слая f ( daróslaja )
Bengali: প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক (bn) ( praptoboẏosko ) , সাবালক (bn) ( śabalok )
Bulgarian: въ́зрастен (bg) m ( vǎ́zrasten ) , въ́зрастна (bg) f ( vǎ́zrastna )
Burmese: လူကြီး (my) ( lu-kri: )
Catalan: adult (ca) m , adulta (ca) f
Chichewa: mkulu
Chinese:
Cantonese: 大人 ( daai6 jan4 )
Mandarin: 成人 (zh) ( chéngrén ) , 大人 (zh) ( dàrén ) , 成年 (zh) ( chéngnián )
Czech: dospělý (cs) m ( cf. dospělák (cs) m ) , dospělá f
Danish: voksen (da) c
Dutch: volwassene (nl) m or f
Esperanto: adolto , viradolto ( male ) , adoltino ( female ) , plenkreskulo , virplenkreskulo ( male ) , plenkreskulino ( female )
Estonian: täiskasvanu , täisealine
Finnish: aikuinen (fi)
French: adulte (fr) m or f , grande personne (fr) f , grand (fr) m
Galician: adulto (gl) m , adulta f
Georgian: ზრდასრული ( zrdasruli ) , სრულწლოვანი ( srulc̣lovani ) , მოწიფული ( moc̣ipuli ) , მოზრდილი ( mozrdili ) , ზრდადამთავრებული ( zrdadamtavrebuli ) , სრულასაკოვანი ( srulasaḳovani )
German: Erwachsener (de) m , Erwachsene (de) f
Greek: ενήλικας (el) m or f ( enílikas ) , ενήλικος (el) m or f ( enílikos )
Haitian Creole: granmoun
Hebrew: מבוגר \ מְבֻגָּר (he) m ( mevugár ) , מבוגרת \ מְבֻגֶּרֶת f ( mevugéret )
Hindi: वयस्क (hi) m ( vayask ) , बालिग़ ( bāliġ ) , प्रौढ़ (hi) m ( prauṛh )
Hungarian: felnőtt (hu)
Icelandic: fullorðinn (is) m
Ido: adulto (io) , adultulo (io) ( male ) , adultino (io) ( female )
Indonesian: dewasa (id)
Irish: duine fásta m , duine aosach m , duine (ga) m , aosach m
Italian: adulto (it) m , adulta (it) f
Japanese: 成人 (ja) ( せいじん, seijin ) , 大人 (ja) ( おとな, otona )
Kazakh: үлкен (kk) ( ülken ) , ересек (kk) ( eresek )
Khmer: មនុស្សពេញវ័យ ( mɔnuh pɨñ vɨy )
Korean: 성인(成人) (ko) ( seong'in ) , 어른 (ko) ( eoreun )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: mirovê gihîştî n
Kyrgyz: бойго жеткен ( boygo jetken )
Lao: ຜູ້ໃຫຍ່ ( phū nyai )
Latin: adultus (la) m , adulta f
Latvian: pieaugušais m
Lithuanian: suaugęs m , suaugusi f
Macedonian: возрасен m ( vozrasen ) , возрасна f ( vozrasna )
Malay: dewasa
Maori: pakeke , paheke ( refers to people ) , kātua ( refers to animals ) , pāhake
Mirandese: adulto m , adulta f
Norwegian:
Bokmål: voksen (no) m or f
Nynorsk: vaksen (nn) m or f
Occitan: adulte (oc)
Odia: ପ୍ରାପ୍ତବୟସ୍କ (or) ( prāptabayaska )
Okinawan: 大人 ( うふっちゅ, ufutchu )
Pashto: بالغ (ps) m ( bāleǧ )
Persian: بزرگسال ( bozorgsâl ) , بالغ (fa) ( bâleğ ) , کلانسال ( kalânsâl ) ( Dari )
Polish: dorosły (pl) m , dorosła f , osoba dorosła f ( generally )
Portuguese: adulto (pt) m , adulta (pt) f
Romagnol: adùlt m
Romanian: adult (ro) m , adultă (ro) f
Russian: взро́слый (ru) m ( vzróslyj ) , взро́слая (ru) f ( vzróslaja )
Sanskrit: प्रौढ (sa) m ( prauḍha )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: о̀дра̄стао m , пу̏нолетан m , пу̏нољетан m
Roman: òdrāstao (sh) m , pȕnoletan (sh) m , pȕnoljetan (sh) m
Sinhalese: වැඩිහිටියා (si) ( wæḍihiṭiyā )
Slovak: dospelý (sk) m , dospelá f
Slovene: odrasel m , odrasla f
Spanish: adulto (es) m , adulta (es) f
Swahili: mtu mzima
Swedish: vuxen (sv) c
Tagalog: maygulang , nasagulang , adulto
Tajik: болиғ ( boliġ )
Thai: ผู้ใหญ่ (th) ( pûu-yài )
Tocharian B: orotstse
Turkish: yetişkin (tr)
Ukrainian: доро́слий m ( doróslyj ) , доро́сла f ( dorósla )
Urdu: بالِغ ( bāliġ )
Uzbek: katta yoshli
Vietnamese: người lớn (vi)
Volapük: daülan (vo) , hidaülan ( male ) , jidaülan ( female )
Welsh: oedolyn (cy) m
Yoruba: àgbàlagbà
Adjective
adult (comparative more adult , superlative most adult )
Fully grown.
an adult human, animal, or plant
1837 , Michael Donovan, Domestic Economy: Human Food, Animal and Vegetable , page 86 :The paws of the adult brown bear, and also their hams, especially when smoked, are considered a great delicacy.
Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
adult clothes; adult cereal; an adult documentary
1973 , Marshall Kaplan, Gans, and Kahn, Children and the urban environment (page 21)
In May 1967 the WGBH Education Division submitted an initial proposal to HUD for a series of four adult television documentaries on conservation in an urban environment.
Containing situations or discussions intended primarily for adults, such as serious crime, illicit drug use, extramarital affairs, etc.
adult situations; adult discussions
( 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 .
an adult movie
This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised.
Containing excessive vulgar or profane speech , text or images , intended only for adults.
adult language; an adult cartoon
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
fully grown
Afrikaans: volwasse
Armenian: հասուն (hy) ( hasun )
Asturian: adultu
Belarusian: даро́слы ( darósly )
Bengali: প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক (bn) ( praptoboẏosko ) , সাবালক (bn) ( śabalok )
Bulgarian: въ́зрастен (bg) ( vǎ́zrasten ) , пълноле́тен (bg) ( pǎlnoléten )
Catalan: adult (ca)
Central Sierra Miwok: ˀypé·la-
Chinese:
Mandarin: 成人 (zh) ( chéngrén )
Czech: dospělý (cs)
Dutch: volwassen (nl)
Esperanto: plenkreska , adolta
Estonian: täiskasvanu
Finnish: aikuinen (fi)
French: adulte (fr)
Galician: adulto (gl)
German: erwachsen (de)
Gothic: 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 ( fullaweis )
Greek:
Ancient: ἁδρός ( hadrós ) , τέλειος m ( téleios )
Hindi: वयस्क (hi) ( vayask ) , बालिग़ m ( bāliġ ) , प्रौढ़ (hi) m ( prauṛh )
Irish: fásta , aosach , aosaithe
Italian: adulto (it) m , adulta (it) f
Kazakh: кәмелеттік ( kämelettık )
Korean: 다 자란 ( da jaran )
Latin: pubēs , puber , adultus (la)
Latvian: pieaudzis
Mirandese: adulto m , adulta f
Polish: dorosły (pl) m , dorosła f
Portuguese: adulto (pt)
Romagnol: adùlt
Romanian: adult (ro)
Russian: взро́слый (ru) ( vzróslyj )
Sanskrit: वृद्ध (sa) ( vṛddha ) , प्रौढ (sa) m ( prauḍha )
Slovak: dospelý (sk)
Slovene: odrasel
Spanish: adulto (es)
Swedish: vuxen (sv)
Tagalog: adulto
Tocharian B: śrāy
Turkish: yetişkin (tr) , ergin (tr)
Ukrainian: доро́слий ( doróslyj )
Vietnamese: trưởng thành (vi) (長成 )
Volapük: daülik (vo) ( cf. daül )
Welsh: mewn oed
euphemistic: pornographic
Verb
adult (third-person singular simple present adults , present participle adulting , simple past and past participle adulted )
( intransitive , slang ) To behave like an adult.
Adulting is hard!
( nonstandard , rare ) To (cause to) be or become an adult .
1974 , Occasional Papers , numbers 42-46 , Syracuse University, page 5:Womanhood was achieved at twenty-one, when the female was "adulted "; manhood was fully achieved at twenty-five, [ …]
2013 , Ewa Rewers, The Contradictions of Urban Art , →ISBN , page 84 :The process of adulting children [ …] overlaps with the process of the uncontrolled infiltration of the media [ …] into children’s imagination.
For more quotations using this term, see Citations:adult .
Further reading
“adult ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .
“adult ”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin adultus .
Pronunciation
Adjective
adult (feminine adulta , masculine plural adults , feminine plural adultes )
adult ( fully grown )
Derived terms
Noun
adult m (plural adults , feminine adulta )
adult ( fully grown person )
Further reading
German
Pronunciation
Adjective
adult (strong nominative masculine singular adulter , not comparable )
( medicine ) adult
Declension
Positive forms of adult (uncomparable )
See also
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French adulte , from Latin adultus ( “ grown up ” ) .
Pronunciation
Adjective
adult m or n (feminine singular adultă , masculine plural adulți , feminine and neuter plural adulte )
adult
Declension
Noun
adult m (plural adulți , feminine equivalent adultă )
adult
Declension