What does maturate mean?
Maturate means to develop fully, reach maturity, or become ripe. Its clearest use is for natural processes: seeds maturate, fruit maturate, and young organisms maturate as they grow toward an adult state. It can also be used more formally for an idea, plan, or institution developing into a mature form, or for causing something to reach that stage. The word often sounds technical or literary because everyday speakers normally use mature instead. Even so, it can be useful when the process itself is important rather than simply the resulting condition. Maturate is also closely connected to maturation, the noun for the process of becoming mature, and to the broader family of mature, maturity, immature, and premature. Its Latin roots preserve the original image of ripeness and full development.
verbTo become fully developed or ripe; to mature. In some contexts, it can also mean to bring something to a mature or fully developed state.
- To develop fully or reach a mature stage.
- To ripen, especially as fruit or another natural product develops.
- To bring something to a mature or fully developed state.
"The seedlings maturate over several weeks under steady light."
"The seedlings maturate over several weeks under steady light."
"The proposal was given time to maturate into a workable plan."
Maturate shares its roots with the idea of ripening: it originally belonged to the language of things coming to full, usable growth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does maturate come from?
Maturate comes from Latin maturus, meaning “ripe” or “mature,” through the Latin verb maturare, meaning “to make ripe” or “to become ripe.” The word entered English in the early 17th century and was used for ripening and reaching full development before becoming more broadly applied. Its relatives include mature, maturity, immature, and premature, all of which are based on the same Latin adjective or its derivatives.
Related word forms
How maturate is actually used
Maturate is less common in everyday English than mature. It is especially natural in formal, scientific, agricultural, and developmental contexts, where it conveys the process of reaching full growth or development.
Easily confused with maturate
Mature is chiefly an adjective meaning fully grown or developed, though it can also be a verb; maturate is a less common verb meaning to become mature or to bring something to maturity.