adulthood
nounEtymology From adult + -hood.
1
Usually The state or condition, for humans and other animals, of physical and psychological maturity: being an adult.
- Meronyms: young adulthood; emerging adulthood (sometimes construed as coordinate)
- Adulthood enables us to survive in the wilderness.
2
Usually The time period of a person's majority, following puberty and lasting until death.
- Meronyms: young adulthood; emerging adulthood (sometimes construed as coordinate)
- The boy entered adulthood by undergoing a rite of passage.
1 more example
- The things learned in childhood affect us throughout our adulthood.
- Derived terms
- subadulthood, waithood, young adulthood