Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - adult

(adults) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. An adult is a mature, fully developed person. An adult has reached the age when they are legally responsible for their actions. Becoming a father signified that he was now an adult... Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. ? minor N-COUNT 2. An adult is a fully developed animal. ...a pair of adult birds. ? juvenile N-COUNT: oft N n 3. Adult means relating to the time when you are an adult, or typical of adult people. I’ve lived most of my adult life in London. ADJ: ADJ n 4. If you say that someone is adult about something, you think that they act in a mature, intelligent way, especially when faced with a difficult situation. We were very adult about it. We discussed it rationally over a drink. = mature ADJ: v-link ADJ c darkgreen]approval 5. You can describe things such as films or books as adult when they deal with sex in a very clear and open way. ...an adult movie. ADJ