adulthood

American  

[uh-duhlt-hood] / əˈdʌlt hʊd /

noun

1. the state or period of being fully grown, fully developed, or of age.

   My mother raised four children to adulthood.

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Etymology

Origin of adulthood

adult ( def. ) + -hood ( def. )

Explanation

When you stop growing and start shaving, you are in adulthood — a point where you reach maturity. Unfortunately, physical adulthood does not necessarily imply that psychological adulthood is present. Adulthood implies a maturity of sorts, whether it be physical or psychological. In many cultures, adulthood is marked with a “coming of age” ritual. In Judaism for example, adulthood is marked by the Bat Mitzvah for girls (age 12) and the Bar Mitzvah for boys (age 13) — in which the girl or boy is considered to have reached adulthood within the community.

Example Sentences

The findings point to a clear trend: gaining weight earlier in adulthood has the strongest impact on long-term health.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

It had never made a strong enough impression to follow me into adulthood, and so it didn’t.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

“Stranger Things” stretched years between seasons as its young cast aged into adulthood, returning to massive viewership, but, some critics and fans argued, with an ending that felt obligatory.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Hardly taller than I, she was much wider—not stout, but wide, which is the direction gnomes grow after they reach adulthood.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Related Words

• boldness
• bravery
• courage
• fortitude
• masculinity
• mettle
• nobility
• potency
• virility