adulting

American  

[uh-duhlt-ing, ad-uhlt-ing] / əˈdʌlt ɪŋ, ˈæd ʌlt ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of carrying out the everyday tasks associated with adulthood, and of taking on adult responsibilities.

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Other Word Forms

• adulter noun

Example Sentences

Hopefully I’ll live a long time, and by the time they have to think about managing my affairs, they’ll know a lot more about adulting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

This should be a teachable moment, the adulting equivalent of an afterschool special.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 26, 2025

I know the term adulting gets thrown around by my millennial cohort, but my husband and I, early 30s, are thinking about kids soon and realized we need to make some major changes.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2024

As I approach 60, I am comforted to know that the brilliant McNamara also feels like she hasn’t fully mastered adulting and doesn’t care.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2023

She said she had told herself, “This is an adulting task that needs to get done.”

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2023