1A person who is fully grown or developed.

1. 1.1A fully developed animal.
   ‘John White invented a device, using a laser, to knock out just one cell in a worm, either in a developing animal or an adult.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The latter possibility is very unlikely, as the animal was an adult.’
   • ‘The four adult and two baby animals will travel down from their home in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland to pull the sledge, laden with toys, around town.’
   • ‘I can recall looking at the preserved reproductive tracts of several hundred Victorian foxes and noting that few adult, first-year animals had produced young.’
   • ‘One of the animals was a puppy, but the others were adults, and three were bitches in season.’
   • ‘But these were mouse cells, not human cells, and came from an embryo, not an adult.’
   • ‘The flies appeared to be normal, but they could not smell at all, either as larvae or as adults.’
   • ‘One adult and a calf have since died and there are still two resident adults and a calf.’
   • ‘They will kill the caterpillar before it becomes an egg-laying adult.’
   • ‘This measurement is predictive of a healthier insect and an adult with higher egg-producing capacity.’
   • ‘Many people opt to buy a cuddly little puppy instead of an adult.’
   • ‘Fifty feet below the larva, an adult of the same species creeps across the rocky seafloor in search of a meal.’
   • ‘After the wasp adult emerges inside the aphid mummy, it cuts a circular hole to exit.’
   • ‘Codling moth adults were observed on several occasions resting on the plastic egg traps.’
   • ‘Two adult bull elephant from the Kruger National Park were released into Addo on the same day, which will provide a much-needed injection into the small gene pool at Addo.’
   • ‘The insect life cycle is ended before it becomes a biting, breeding, egg-laying adult that plagues your pets.’
   • ‘In July, the adult emerges from the pupa and pushes its way to the soil surface.’
   • ‘And now, just a few years ago, Mandell returned to the wolves as a fully grown wolf adult.’
   • ‘In some ways training a puppy is easier than training an adult or adolescent dog.’
   • ‘Not far from Clitheroe I watched an adult and three young birds twisting and turning in the air like skilful pilots doing aerobatics.’
2. 1.2Law A person who has reached the age of majority.
   ‘It also discussed the current position, whereby the consent of an adult with parental responsibility will be valid even when the child is able to give a valid consent but refuses to do so.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Were he an adult with a criminal record, it is almost certain he would face a significant period of imprisonment.’
   • ‘The Appellant is now a young adult of 20 years of age.’
   • ‘The judgements for adults and children are treated separately in the assessment framework.’
   • ‘These provisions, when first enacted, applied to both adults and children.’

1Fully grown or developed.

1. 1.1Of or for adult people.
   ‘adult education’
   More example sentences

   • ‘With no education or adult help, this is a daunting task.’
   • ‘The children will devise, plan and implement a programme to get adult relatives back into education.’
   • ‘Teenage mothers often face daunting obstacles to completing their education and achieving adult independence.’
   • ‘Consider your personal financial situation; you start your adult life with some education and usually not much else.’
   • ‘The two foremost external barriers to adult enrollment in higher education are limited time and limited funds.’
   • ‘The association hoped to increase awareness of the lack of adult sex education and resources on the subject, Cheng said.’
   • ‘Formal education and training for adult life assumed differing destinies for boys and for girls and for differing levels in society.’
   • ‘The provincial Department of Education is offering adult learners two different exam times this year.’
   • ‘There is a lack of good evidence of effectiveness of safety education for adult pedestrians, specially elderly people.’
   • ‘And the manner in which we are adapting to our new multicultural society is now a major issue facing adult learners an education conference in Ennis was also told yesterday.’
   • ‘It also offers adult basic education and English for Speakers of Other Languages courses.’
   • ‘The school wishes to plan for the future and to respond to the needs of the community in regard to adult and continuing education.’
   • ‘It will be conducted by Fr. Todd Nolan who is in charge of adult religious education in the diocese.’
   • ‘The increase will also allow the college to continue offering adult basic education for free, he said.’
   • ‘They encourage unity and solidarity among the adult and community education groups in Kildare.’
   • ‘Giving help towards adult and second chance education also forms part of our programme of assistance.’
   • ‘At the same time, many contemporary Episcopal congregations clamor for more and more in-depth adult - education offerings.’
   • ‘Women also have been well represented in adult basic education courses, many of which are provided at community colleges around the country.’
   • ‘Implications in this situation might be the exploration of the possibilities for a joint union/management adult basic education program.’
   • ‘Turning to adult basic education and training exams, the council found there had been an improvement in quality.’
2. 1.2Emotionally and mentally mature.
   ‘an effort to be adult and civilized’
   More example sentences

   • ‘‘He is determined to turn his life around and deal with matters in a more responsible, mature and adult way,’ Mr Jones said.’
   • ‘And he should be adult enough and mature enough and experienced enough to understand it.’
   • ‘Mature, adult comprehension can lead us all to see that there are some very intelligent and worthy of praise men out there.’
   • ‘There was something definitely more adult and mature about her best friend and for a moment, a feeling of intense resentment welled up within her.’
   • ‘Her idealization of her mate results in a one-sided relationship that doesn't seem to function on any mature, adult level.’
   • ‘On some rare occasions, Andrew would take his younger brother along for an adventure that to Aaron seemed very adult and mature.’
   • ‘This year they felt that the two young fellows got along very well and they felt that the older child was adult enough or mature enough to adequately supervise the boy.’
   • ‘He's resolutely adult, more mature and perhaps more cautious of the world.’
   • ‘It's a very mature, adult role, which to me, is what Norman is really like in person.’
   • ‘So when you get something that is for a mature adult audience, it's sort of a relief.’
   • ‘A better man than me might have talked to her about it, might have resolved it in a mature, adult fashion.’
3. 1.3Suitable only for adults (used euphemistically to refer to a sexually explicit film, book, or magazine).
   ‘It turned out the lawyers were referring to dozens of adult magazines seized from his home.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘We also assessed the availability of products that could be used as educational or therapeutic products, such as adult magazines, books, and videos.’
   • ‘Dietz and Sears examined books, magazines, and films in adult bookstores in four cities.’
   • ‘How many adult films, bookstores, magazines, or websites will remain for you to enjoy when such a law is enforced?’
   • ‘It's not really an adult film, even though it has some slight sexual references, and some scenes involving drugs.’
   • ‘This X-rated adult book concerns the battle between good and evil.’
   • ‘Somehow, George managed to interest the people who published Penthouse Magazine in a line of adult comic books produced on a handsome budget.’
   • ‘The sunglasses must not merely be chosen, they must be selected in a process at least as involved as that of an eighteen-year-old selecting his first adult film at the local video shop.’
   • ‘It used to be that the studio producing an adult film would carry that information at their studio.’
   • ‘A couple of adult film producers based in California are being prosecuted in Pittsburgh by U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan.’
   • ‘According to Hotel Secrets, 60 percent of in-room entertainment revenue comes from adult films.’
   • ‘He points out that mainstream films will only be given a rating such as PG or R, but will not be subject to approval by the board like adult sex films are.’
   • ‘The shop has been operating for more than three months, selling lingerie, adult toys and adult magazines, none of which requires a licence.’
   • ‘Well, not unless you are considering a career in the adult film industry, then I suppose it's perfectly acceptable course of action.’
   • ‘They had one initially and the idea was that it would denote adult films that weren't in the realm of sex and exploitation.’
   • ‘The accounts will confirm the sale in March of Desmond's adult magazine stable.’
   • ‘A former marine from Detroit, he had wanted to be a policeman, but instead drifted into adult films in the mid-Nineties.’
   • ‘A lot of people derive enjoyment from watching adult films.’
   • ‘They said they were interested in getting me involved in the adult film industry.’
   Synonyms

   sexually explicit, obscene, pornographic, hardcore, soft-core, lewd, smutty, dirty, filthy, vulgar, crude, rude, racy, risqué, ribald, naughty, arousing, earthy, Rabelaisian, erotic, carnal, sensual, sexy, suggestive, titillating, spicy, raw, taboo, off colour, indecent, improper

   View synonyms

Behave in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially by accomplishing mundane but necessary tasks.