What does adulthood mean?
Adulthood is the noun denoting the state or period of being an adult — the stage of life that follows childhood and adolescence, typically characterized by physical maturity, independence, and full legal responsibility. The word is commonly used both in ordinary conversation and in specialized fields such as psychology, sociology, and law. In everyday usage it often appears in phrases like 'reach adulthood' or 'the transition to adulthood', marking the passage into grown-up life. Researchers sometimes divide adulthood into early, middle, and late stages, while some describe an extended phase called 'emerging adulthood' spanning the late teens and twenties. Legally, adulthood usually begins at eighteen, though cultural expectations about what constitutes being an adult vary widely. Derived from the Latin 'adultus', meaning 'grown up', the word carries neutral connotations and remains one of the standard terms for discussing maturity and the responsibilities of grown-up life.
nounThe state or period of being an adult; the stage of life following adolescence, marked by maturity and full legal responsibility.
- The state of being fully grown or mature; the period of life after childhood and adolescence.
- Legal majority: the age at which a person is recognized by law as an adult with full rights and responsibilities.
"She took on the responsibilities of adulthood soon after leaving university."
"Many young people delay the milestones traditionally associated with adulthood, such as marriage and homeownership."
"Under the law, adulthood begins at eighteen in most countries."
Rarely pluralized; occasionally used in academic writing to refer to different individuals' experiences or models of adult life.
"Sociologists have documented widely varying adulthoods across cultures and generations."
In most of the United States you can vote at 18, but 'emerging adulthood' researchers argue that full psychological adulthood now often doesn't arrive until nearly 30.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adulthood
Adulthood derives from the adjective 'adult', which comes from the Latin 'adultus', the past participle of 'adolescere', meaning 'to grow up' or 'to grow to maturity'. The suffix '-hood' — an Old English element denoting a state or condition — was added to form the noun, on the model of words like 'childhood' and 'manhood'. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include 'adolescent' and 'adolescence'. The word has been in use since at least the mid-19th century.
How adulthood is actually used
Adulthood is a neutral, everyday noun used across registers. It is frequently discussed in terms of transitions ('transition to adulthood') and developmental stages ('early adulthood', 'late adulthood'). In psychology and sociology, 'emerging adulthood' is sometimes used for the late teens through twenties as a distinct phase.
Easily confused with adulthood
Adulthood is the state of being a grown adult, while adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse — both derive from Latin 'adultus'/'adulter', but their meanings are entirely unrelated in modern use.