1
: not childish or immature : adult
2
: of, for, or characteristic of adults
insisted on wearing grown-up clothes
Examples of grown-up in a Sentence
Adjective
they have yet to find a grown-up way of handling their marital problems
Noun
once you turn 12, you get to eat with the grown-ups at Thanksgiving
Recent Examples on the Web
Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Just like warm neutrals, rich chocolate brown makes pink feel quite grown-up.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
Another hint that this go-around with Phantom—which arrives two years after the iconic Broadway production ended its 35-year-long run—will be more grown-up?
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 16 July 2025
But most of it is decidedly and delightfully grown-up.
—David Lyman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Suffice to say, the film proves impressively grown-up about how far Bull must go to atone for his behavior.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 June 2025
Think freshwater pearl accents, delicate gold box chains, and grown-up takes on the vibrant beads that once ruled summer camp.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 30 May 2025
As for your son himself, surely he is grown-up and intelligent enough to have sympathy for the family’s financial constraints, rather than resentment.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
Hence, grown-up Chris is a nomadic misfit with two talents: sharpshooting and solving quadratic equations.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
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Adjective
Cherry Stem was designed to feel more complex, sexier, woodier and all grown-up.
—Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Just like warm neutrals, rich chocolate brown makes pink feel quite grown-up.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
Another hint that this go-around with Phantom—which arrives two years after the iconic Broadway production ended its 35-year-long run—will be more grown-up?
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 16 July 2025
But most of it is decidedly and delightfully grown-up.
—David Lyman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Suffice to say, the film proves impressively grown-up about how far Bull must go to atone for his behavior.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 June 2025
Think freshwater pearl accents, delicate gold box chains, and grown-up takes on the vibrant beads that once ruled summer camp.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 30 May 2025
As for your son himself, surely he is grown-up and intelligent enough to have sympathy for the family’s financial constraints, rather than resentment.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
Hence, grown-up Chris is a nomadic misfit with two talents: sharpshooting and solving quadratic equations.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
Reportedly shot for less than $100,000, this tale of Pooh and Piglet all grown-up and running amok recently opened to box office success in Mexico and is currently playing on cinema screens around America.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grown-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grown-up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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