as in grown-up
a fully grown person
at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in pornographic
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material
an adult magazine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in matured
fully grown or developed
insects that are butterflies in their adult stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adult
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
However, people with eating disorders like anorexia and elderly adults are at risk for malnutrition.712
Muscle loss (sarcopenia) also increases as you age, which can cause weakness and difficulty with balance.
—Lauren O'Connor, Health, 22 July 2025
Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023
The first whale found this month, a sub-adult male gray whale, was recovered Jan. 11 in Winchester Bay and was slain by killer whales, according to Milstein.
—oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Noun
The survey also showed that 55 percent of U.S. adults believed the president had gone too far in deporting immigrants living in the country illegally.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
However, people with eating disorders like anorexia and elderly adults are at risk for malnutrition.712
Muscle loss (sarcopenia) also increases as you age, which can cause weakness and difficulty with balance.
—Lauren O'Connor, Health, 22 July 2025
Adjective
There has not been a sighting of a calf since 2005, though juvenile and sub-adult whales have been seen more recently, Crance said.
—Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023
The first whale found this month, a sub-adult male gray whale, was recovered Jan. 11 in Winchester Bay and was slain by killer whales, according to Milstein.
—oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
Adjective
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Twenty-one mature Yoshino cherry trees along Riverfront Park were literally on the chopping block in March 2019 to make room for a temporary NFL Draft stage.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 July 2025
-
Weisz says to choose a changing table that is mature enough for the older children in the space, as well as a dresser below to remain functional and stylish long after the baby is out of diapers.—
Nina Derwin,
Architectural Digest,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Two milestones revealed this week illustrate the diminishing power of broadcast television in the media world — one fueled by the habits of young people and the other by their elders.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 July 2025
-
In Liberia, as well as among members of the Yoruba people in Nigeria, young people bend their knees slightly or—if the older person is seated—drop to one or both knees to honor their elders.—
Chris Ciolli,
AFAR Media,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Her complicated desire for K—erotic in nature, and yet based in a childlike longing for approval—produces an irrecuperable psychic fissure.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
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Aubrey Beardsley cribbed the oversized phalluses of his erotic drawings from Japanese shunga prints.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Banana Bread Syrup Lewis says another alternative is to make your own banana bread syrup by simmering together mashed ripe banana, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
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Every candidate has already been vetted for safety; A.I. can identify low-hanging fruit, and then humans can decide whether the pairing is ripe for picking.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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