ADULT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does adult mean? 

• ADULT (noun)
  The noun ADULT has 2 senses:

1. a fully developed person from maturity onward

2. any mature animal

  Familiarity information: ADULT used as a noun is rare.

• ADULT (adjective)
  The adjective ADULT has 2 senses:

1. (of animals) fully developed

2. designed to arouse lust

  Familiarity information: ADULT used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ADULT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fully developed person from maturity onward

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

adult; grownup

Hypernyms ("adult" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Meronyms (parts of "adult"):

adult body (the body of an adult human being)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "adult"):

liberal (a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets)

adult female; woman (an adult female person (as opposed to a man))

thoroughbred (a well-bred person)

stoic; unemotional person (someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions)

homebody; stay-at-home (a person who seldom goes anywhere; one not given to wandering or travel)

man of the world; sophisticate (a worldly-wise person)

sobersides (a serious and sedate individual)

professional; professional person (a person engaged in one of the learned professions)

pledger (someone who makes or gives a pledge)

pledgee (someone to whom a pledge is made or someone with whom something is deposited as a pledge)

patrician (a person of refined upbringing and manners)

disarmer; pacificist; pacifist (someone opposed to violence as a means of settling disputes)

golden ager; old person; oldster; senior citizen (an elderly person)

militarist; warmonger (a person who advocates war or warlike policies)

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))

brachycephalic (an adult with a short broad head)

liberal; liberalist; progressive (a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties)

Jack of all trades (a person able to do a variety of different jobs acceptably well)

important person; influential person; personage (a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events)

host (a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there)

fascist (an adherent of fascism or other authoritarian views)

ex-spouse (a person who was formerly a spouse)

elder; senior (a person who is older than you are)

dolichocephalic (an adult with a long narrow head)

conservative; conservativist (a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas)

case; character; eccentric; type (a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities))

centrist; middle of the roader; moderate; moderationist (a person who takes a position in the political center)

catch; match (a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect)

caregiver (a person who is responsible for attending to the needs of a child or dependent adult)

Antonym:

juvenile (a young person, not fully developed)

Derivation:

adult ((of animals) fully developed)

adulthood (the state (and responsibilities) of a person who has attained maturity)

adulthood (the period of time in your life after your physical growth has stopped and you are fully developed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any mature animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("adult" is a kind of...):

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

Derivation:

adult ((of animals) fully developed)

adulthood (the state (and responsibilities) of a person who has attained maturity)

adulthood (the period of time in your life after your physical growth has stopped and you are fully developed)

• ADULT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of animals) fully developed

Synonyms:

adult; big; full-grown; fully grown; grown; grownup

Context example:

a grown woman

Similar:

mature (having reached full natural growth or development)

Domain category:

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

Derivation:

adult (any mature animal)

adult (a fully developed person from maturity onward)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Designed to arouse lust

Synonyms:

adult; pornographic

Context example:

adult movies

Similar:

sexy (marked by or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest)

 Context examples 

An acute myeloid leukemia with t(9;11)(p22;q23);MLLT3-MLL occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia with t(9;11)(p22;q23); MLLT3-MLL, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21)(q22;q22) occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia with t(8;21)(q22;q22); RUNX1-RUNX1T1, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myeloid leukemia with t(16;16)(p13.1;q22) occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia with t(16;16)(p13.1;q22); CBFB-MYH11, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myeloid leukemia with recurrent genetic abnormalities occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Recurrent Genetic Abnormalities, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myeloid leukemia without maturation occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia without Maturation, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myelomonocytic leukemia occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia, NCI Thesaurus)

The incidence of developing melanoma is higher before the age of 10 and in adult life.

(Melanoma Arising in Giant Congenital Nevus, NCI Thesaurus)

When it comes to taking medicines, kids aren't just small adults.

(Medicines and Children, Food and Drug Administration)

An acute promyelocytic leukemia with t(15;17)(q22;q12) occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia with t(15;17)(q22;q12); PML-RARA, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute myeloid leukemia with minimal differentiation occurring in adults.

(Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Minimal Differentiation, NCI Thesaurus)