adult 1 of 2

noun

Definition of adultnext
as in grown-up
a fully grown person at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adult

2 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdəlt How to pronounce adult (audio)
1
as in mature
relating to or typical of adults; displaying proper maturity an adult reaction to the issue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pornographic
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material an adult magazine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in matured
fully grown or developed insects that are butterflies in their adult stage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adult
Noun
What’s more, Episode 2 grew a whopping 47% among Live+Same Day adults 18-49 on NBC. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 The story goes that Disney would bring his daughters to the merry-go-round, sit on a bench and dream of a place where adults and children could be entertained together. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Justin Vernon’s midwestern charm and pliable falsetto has always endeared him to indie-rock dads raised on Michael McDonald, but starting a family himself between Bon Iver projects turned this year’s Sable, Fable into a deep examination of the fatherly adult contemporary figure in popular music. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 Corrigan has also appeared in independent non-adult films such as Chillerama and appeared in Gus Van Sant’s Harvey Milk biopic Milk. — Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
  1. grown-up
  2. mature
  3. pornographic
  4. matured
  5. elder
  6. erotic
  7. ripe
Noun
  • For families While the vibe is much more honeymoon-y and grown-up than many of Bangkok’s other stays in the same price range, families are still very welcome.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of grown-up
Adjective
  • Within premium products, there is a focus on longevity attributes in skin care and elegant, sophisticated makeup products among mature middle-class consumers.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the majority of students have been peaceful, and many come off in interviews as almost freakishly mature.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of mature
Adjective
  • The filing follows a separate legal battle launched by Meloni in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Current Florida law says a school district can review and remove a book after a complaint has been made that a book is pornographic, obscene or isn’t age appropriate.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • Think of this as the matured version of the Kool-Aid dip-dye technique.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of matured
Noun
  • If that doesn’t sound heady enough, Neon also has Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden, a three-hour movie about the practical application of the Humanitude methodology in a French elder-care facility.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This could’ve been a story of seasoned elders welcoming a new voice into their fold.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of elder
Adjective
  • And at Mugler, the mood was set before the first look appeared, with screens beaming erotic footage that included mating snails, sweaty skin, a woman’s tongue and two people kissing.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In a multi-studio bidding war, Sheldon sold her next project, an original erotic thriller, to Netflix with Media Res.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of erotic
Adjective
  • There was a wide stone wall on which someone had placed a row of ripe quinces from a nearby tree.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Le is particularly fond of the store’s Thai green bananas, which remain bright green even when fully ripe and develop an intensely sweet flavor.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of ripe

Browse Nearby Words

adulatory
adult
adulterant
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Cite this Entry

“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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