informal: to behave like an adult : to attend to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult
Do we really have to adult today? Lauren Merola
Stop complaining that you have to adult today. Being an adult is awesome. Suzanne Lucas
Learning how to "adult" is a necessity for these college freshmen in order to figure out new medication schedules and if their parents' insurance will cover impromptu ER visits. Meredith Newman
2
informal: to become an adult
It could be something small, like bailing on your friends at the last second. Or something bigger, like not showing up for work. Whatever the case may be, it's a sign you haven't fully "adulted" if you constantly slack off on your responsibilities. Carolyn Steber
But there is one real benefit to growing older and adulting: We essentially get to do whatever we want to do. Sharon Pope
adultingnouninformal
True financial adulting goes beyond paying your bills on time. It's also about planning for the future. Mary Crawley
Adulting does not have to be scary. Some students … feel as though they are comfortable with their ability to live on their own. But for those who do not, Residence Life at Elizabethtown College will hold another series of adulting sessions after Spring Break. These will be open to all students to try to help ease the transition out of college. Meghan Kenney
Adjective preparing children for adult life We need to approach this in an adult way. Noun Her books appeal both to children and to adults. Children must be accompanied by an adult in the museum. Only adults can purchase alcohol. This film is for adults only. Minors are not admitted. People who are close friends as children aren't always friends as adults. studying interactions between young birds and adultsSee More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
An important caveat: the differentiation of stem cells into new, functional neurons in the adult human hippocampus continues to be a point of active debate. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 Students drop out of his class, and his adult social circle tightens. Anna Mundow, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 State Police divers have recovered the body of the victim (adult female occupant of vehicle) in this incident. Matt Yan, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2022 The other five occupants, four men and one woman, were adult Mexican citizens who were in the U.S. illegally, authorities said. Angelina Hicks, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2022 Medical use of marijuana was decriminalized in California in 1996, but Dillis’ study notes its production remained mostly unregulated until 2016, when adult recreational use was legalized. Yoohyun Jung, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Nov. 2021 Every scene with the terrifically naturalistic child actors rings with some truth about pre-adult life. A.a. Dowd, Washington Post, 14 June 2022 That means most adult Americans don’t have a college degree. Zack Friedman, Forbes, 1 June 2022 Current evidence points to medicine as being more effective at reducing adult ADHD symptoms than therapy, but the research base for ADHD therapy is growing. Laura E. Knouse, The Conversation, 9 May 2022
Noun
First responders determined that the person, an adult, was dead. Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022 Where: Decatur City Hall, 402 Lee Street Northeast, Decatur. Admission: $5 weekend pass, free for children age 12 and younger accompanied by adult. Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 15 Sep. 2022 The shot clock will be mandatory for varsity contests, and will have to be operated by an adult. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2022 Anyone who would like to report the abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older or disabled adult who lives in a private residence may contact DHS Adult Protective Services by calling 1-866-552-4464, then pressing 3. Henri Hollis, ajc, 14 Sep. 2022 Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 Authorities charged 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley as an adult on multiple counts, including murder and terrorism. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 14 Sep. 2022 An adult could rely on memory to decide, but Gaby Melian decided to go to the source: children. Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022 An adult who was severely immunocompromised and diagnosed with monkeypox died in Texas last month, but the precise cause of that death has yet to be determined. Harold Maass, The Week, 13 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
borrowed from French & Latin; French adulte, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin adultus, from past participle of adolēscere, adulēscere "to become mature, grow up," from ad-ad- + alēscere "to be nourished, grow up," probably inchoative derivative of *alēre "to grow," stative derivative of alere "to nurse, feed, nourish" — more at old entry 1