What Is “Adult”?
Pronunciation: /ˈæd.ʌlt/ (US), /əˈdʌlt/ (UK)
Part of Speech: Noun, Adjective
Definition:
As a noun, adult refers to a person who has reached maturity, usually someone aged 18 or older in most legal systems.
As an adjective, adult describes something relating to or appropriate for grown people, especially in contrast to children or teenagers.
In sexual or media contexts, “adult” can refer to content that is explicit or sexually oriented, such as “adult films” or “adult entertainment.”
Grammatical Formation:
- As a noun:
- She is an adult now and can make her own decisions.
- As an adjective:
- This book contains adult themes and is not suitable for children.
Synonyms:
grown-up, mature person, of age, legal age (noun); mature, explicit, R-rated, NSFW (adjective)
Antonyms:
child, minor, juvenile, underage, adolescent
Related Terms:
adulthood, adult content, adult themes, age of consent, mature content, explicit material
Relationship to Sexuality
The word adult is often associated with sexual content when used in phrases like “adult entertainment,” “adult film,” or “adult site.” However, outside those contexts, it more commonly refers to age, maturity, or legal status, not necessarily sexuality.
Common Collocations:
- adult content
- adult themes
- adult responsibility
- adult conversation
- adult supervision
- young adult
- adult entertainment
- adult humor
Idiomatic & Contextual Usage:
- “Be an adult about it.” – Handle something maturely.
- “Only adults allowed.” – Restricted access due to age or content.
- “Adulting is hard.” – A humorous way of saying growing up involves responsibilities.
Sample Sentences:
- She became a legal adult at 18.
- The movie is rated R due to adult content.
- He’s finally acting like an adult.
- Adult education classes help people return to learning later in life.
- The website contains adult material and requires age verification.
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, sexuality, and self-expression.