coming-of-age

noun

com·​ing-of-age ˈkə-miŋ-əv-ˈāj How to pronounce coming-of-age (audio)
: the attainment of prominence, respectability, recognition, or maturity

Examples of coming-of-age in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The coming-of-age film with fantasy elements is written and directed by Loeloe Hendra, marking his directorial debut. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 This suggests that such adornments were not worn by children, and acquiring these piercings may have marked coming-of-age rituals within social groups, according to the study. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Photo : Arturo Holmes/Getty Images; Omega Dominic Sessa in an Omega De Ville Tresor Dominic Sessa hit the scene in 2023 during his breakout role in Alexander Payne’s coming-of-age film The Holdovers. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 And then there’s literature: one New York City public-high-school reading list includes graphic novels, Michelle Obama’s memoir, and a coming-of-age book about identity featuring characters named Aristotle and Dante. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Exploring what made Twitter a unique home for the Black community, the series that unfolds like a coming-of-age story in the vein of Star Wars or The Matrix, according to its director. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The heartbreak ballad about vowing to pretend until a love is rekindled is a travelogue of good times — including a shout-out to the final iconic birthday cake scene in 1984 coming-of-age classic Sixteen Candles — mixed with the present-day footage of Grande receiving the love-erasing procedure. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 The coming-of-age film is available to buy or rent on digital 4K Ultra HD at Apple TV, Prime Video and other transactional video-on-demand platforms. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The world of pigeon racing gets the spotlight in the new coming-of-age movie Little Wing. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coming-of-age.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1729, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coming-of-age was in 1729

Dictionary Entries Near coming-of-age

Cite this Entry

“Coming-of-age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coming-of-age. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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