grown-up

[ grohn-uhp ]

adjective

1. having reached the age of maturity.
2. characteristic of or suitable for adults:

   grown-up behavior; grown-up fiction.

grown-up

adjective

1. having reached maturity; adult
2. suitable for or characteristic of an adult

noun

1. an adult

Other Words From

• grown-upness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grown-up¹

First recorded in 1625–35; adj. use of verb phrase grow up

Example Sentences

Wiltshire is now a fitness instructor at her own gym in Hampshire and says her grown-up daughter Lara is amazed and proud of her story - a career which saw her ride against great jockeys like Lester Piggott, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery and Walter Swinburn.

From BBC

Whereas the former was all chaos and crop tops, Nora Ephron Fall, depicted memorably in her most popular rom-coms, is a decidedly grown-up affair.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, while much of our relationship with candy comes from when we’re kids, recent surveys have found that about half of adults say they eat more candy as a grown-up than they ever did as a child.

From Salon

The couple, who had been married for more than 50 years, had two grown-up children, a son and daughter who both live locally.

From BBC

We loved watching the antics between the four women, even if I didn’t understand all the grown-up jokes.

From Salon