kidult

noun, adj — 2 senses

kidult

noun

UK /ˈkɪd.ʌlt/

Etymology Blend of kid + adult.

1

Business, Human sciences, Marketing, Sciences, Social science, Sociology Informal An adult who participates in youth culture and activities traditionally intended for children.

Synonyms
adultescent, adultolescent, rejuvenile
Derived terms
kidulthood

kidult

adj

Etymology Blend of kid + adult.

1

Of or relating to kidults.

  • Organizational methods appear significantly more frequently in kidult programs, next most frequently in adult programs, and least frequently in children's programs. Escape methods appear most frequently in adult programs with kidult and children's programs about equal.1963, Alpha Kappa Delta, Sociological Inquiry, volumes 33-34, page 189:
  • By casting popular culture as simplistic and ‘kidult’, as distinct from the authentic adult culture she approves of, she reduces a complex culture to a generational divide: the new is childish; while the old and established is timeless, worthy of consumption by adults.2006, Kate Crawford, Adult Themes: Rewriting the Rules of Adulthood, page 192:
1 more example
  • In the 21st century, whose “kidult” blurring of the lines sees grown-ups listening to “kindie rock,” feeding their kids gourmet gelato instead of Good Humor, and dissecting the last Pixar film, the notion of a tree house in our collective backyard with a misspelled sign saying “Kidz only” is a healthy thing[.]2008, Dade Hayes, Anytime Playdate: Inside the Preschool Entertainment Boom, or, How Television Became My Baby’s Best Friend, page 86:
Related terms
man child, Peter Pan syndrome, postadolescence, status inconsistency, status discrepancy

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.