adult
An animal that is full-grown.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1500 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
***The Following Contains Explicit Language and Adult Content*** Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill: A WrestleMania 42 Power Clash Segment is from AJ OUM Episode 352 For ALL THINGS OUM: Click here: www.linktr.ee/ajoum #AJ…
We? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Speak for YOURSELVES Americans will not admit they're part of the fucking problem. You're children in adult clothes.
My Grandfather spent his later adult life overweight and suffering with heart problems that eventually killed him. His diet does not constitute good health advice.
People love to act like children are incapable of understanding oddities complexities in relationships through communication. Don’t misinterpret me. I am NOT saying children are mature enough to handle adult relations…
Just turned 18!! It’s a little stressful and biter sweet, but now I’m actually an adult:)
Definitions
An animal that is full-grown.
“Pornographic films (colloquially porn films, pornos, porn), sex films, erotic films, adult films, blue films, sexually explicit films, or 18+ films are films that represent sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse, fascinate, or satisfy the viewer.”
“Pornography is often sold or rented on DVD; shown through Internet streaming, specialty channels and pay-per-view on cable and satellite; and viewed in rapidly disappearing adult movie theater.”
Comments
Fully grown.
"adult" means fully grown. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"adult" is informal English meaning fully grown. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "fully grown" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "adult" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“***The Following Contains Explicit Language and Adult Content*** Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill: A WrestleMania 42 Power Clash Segment is from AJ OUM Episode 352 For ALL THINGS OUM: Click here: www.linktr.ee/ajoum #AJOrsini #DeceiveDave #OUM #WWE youtu.be/E72OI-icoCU”
— Bluesky· May 2026“We? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Speak for YOURSELVES Americans will not admit they're part of the fucking problem. You're children in adult clothes.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“My Grandfather spent his later adult life overweight and suffering with heart problems that eventually killed him. His diet does not constitute good health advice.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“People love to act like children are incapable of understanding oddities complexities in relationships through communication. Don’t misinterpret me. I am NOT saying children are mature enough to handle adult relationships and adult sexuality.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“>> He's really the adult. But I”
Comments
A person who has reached the legal age of majority.
“Just turned 18!! It’s a little stressful and biter sweet, but now I’m actually an adult:)”
— r/teenagers· May 2026“What age is no longer a kid but also not an adult yet?”
— r/teenagers· May 2026“What is that thing that you learned wrong as a kid , and then realized as an adult and felt so silly?”
— r/AskReddit· May 2026“Just a simple question for anyone who's into erotica. Im a aspiring artist who wants to become a writer someday. Specifically in erotica. Just a simple question for anyone who knows what that is or is into it, what would you like to see in adult fiction? Better pacing, more focus on emotional depth, healthier relationship? Just curious.”
— r/GenZ· May 2026“Online friend being abused Can someone tell me what I should do if I have an online friend who’s being bullied and abused in real life with no trusted adult. he says he’s fine but I’m really worried.”
— r/GenAlpha· Apr 2026
Show all 9 examplesShow fewer
“90’s-00’s kids, how did you discover adult tv channels and why was it by looking for cartoons? I can’t believe the 600 channels were for kids and the 900 channels were for adults 🫣”
— r/AskUK· Apr 2026“Do you have to take a new passport photo when renewing adult British passport? I did think you could use your previous adult photo again but it seems not to be the case now. It would be great to have clarity before starting the application process. Thanks!”
— r/AskUK· Apr 2026“Americans who took Spanish in school: did any of it actually stick years later? Learning Spanish as an adult, six months in. Keep meeting Americans who took 2-4 years of Spanish in high school but barely remember any of it. For those who took Spanish in school, what's your honest assessment now? Anything stuck, or is it mostly gone?”
— r/AskAnAmerican· Apr 2026“>> He's really the adult. But I”
Comments
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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