adulthood
gb/ədˈʌlthˌʊd/ us/ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
adult stage of life
the time in your life when you are an adult
Usage pattern:
[in/during/throughout] adulthood; [reach/enter] adulthood
Common mistake:
Adulthood is usually uncountable: say “in adulthood” or “during adulthood,” not usually “in the adulthood.”
Synonyms
adult life (more everyday and slightly less formal)
|
maturity (can refer to being fully developed, not just the period of adult life)
Antonyms
childhood (the earlier stage of life before adulthood)
|
adolescence (the teenage transitional stage before adulthood)
Collocations
reach adulthood
|enter adulthood
|early adulthood
|young adulthood
|middle adulthood
|later adulthood
|throughout adulthood
|during adulthood
|in adulthood
|transition to adulthood
Themes
life_stages
|people
|daily_life
Examples
- Many habits formed in childhood continue into adulthood.
- She spent most of her adulthood in Chicago.
- Regular exercise in early adulthood can improve health later in life.
Learner examples
- He reached adulthood in a small town.
- My parents taught me skills I still use in adulthood.
Noun
B2
state
2
adult status and responsibility
the condition of being an adult and having adult responsibilities
Usage pattern:
the responsibilities/freedoms/challenges of adulthood; [make the transition] to adulthood
Common mistake:
Do not confuse adulthood with adultery; they are unrelated words.
Synonyms
adult status (emphasizes being officially or socially recognized as an adult)
|
maturity (emphasizes emotional or personal development rather than legal status)
Antonyms
minority (legal status of being under the age of adulthood)
|
childhood (a time before adult responsibilities and status)
Collocations
the responsibilities of adulthood
|the pressures of adulthood
|the challenges of adulthood
|the freedoms of adulthood
|legal adulthood
|emotional adulthood
|prepare for adulthood
|path to adulthood
|transition into adulthood
|mark adulthood
Themes
life_stages
|law
|responsibility
|society
Examples
- Getting her first full-time job felt like a step into adulthood.
- The ceremony marks adulthood in their community.
- For many people, financial independence is an important sign of adulthood.
Learner examples
- Adulthood brings more freedom and more responsibility.
- In many countries, legal adulthood begins at 18.
Grammar
Dictionary form
adulthood
IPA
GB/ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
US/ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
Syllables & stress
adult - hood (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (hood)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: adulthood
- Plural: adulthood
Expressions
come of age
1/kˈʌm əv ˈeɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
reach adulthood or maturity
To reach the age when you are an adult or when something becomes fully developed.
Examples
- He came of age at eighteen and inherited the family business.
- The technology has finally come of age and is now widely used.
come of age
1/kˈʌm əv ˈeɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
reach adult status
to become old enough to be considered an adult
Examples
- She came of age during a time of major social change.
- In this country, citizens come of age at 18.
- The novel follows a boy as he comes of age in a small fishing village.
early adulthood
1/ˈɚli ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
fixed phrase
beginning of adult life
the first years of being an adult
Examples
- Career choices made in early adulthood can shape later opportunities.
- Symptoms often first appear in early adulthood.
- He developed a love of cooking in early adulthood.
emerging adulthood
1/ɪmˈɚd͡ʒɪŋ ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
fixed phrase
technical
extended young-adult transition
the years when young people are adults but are still becoming fully independent
Examples
- Researchers use the term emerging adulthood to describe the period from about 18 to 29.
- Financial dependence on parents is common in emerging adulthood.
- Identity exploration is a major theme in studies of emerging adulthood.
reach adulthood
1/ɹˈit͡ʃ ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
fixed phrase
become an adult
to become an adult
Examples
- Many children in the study were followed until they reached adulthood.
- By the time he reached adulthood, he had lived in three different countries.
- Some animals take many years to reach adulthood.
transition to adulthood
1/tɹænzˈɪʃən tə ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
fixed phrase
change into adult life
the process of becoming an adult and taking on adult responsibilities
Examples
- Leaving school is often part of the transition to adulthood.
- The organization helps young people in foster care with the transition to adulthood.
- For some teenagers, the transition to adulthood happens very quickly.
young adulthood
1/jˈʌŋ ədˈʌlthˌʊd/
fixed phrase
early adult years
the first part of adult life
Examples
- Many people move away from home during young adulthood.
- The program supports people with disabilities as they enter young adulthood.
- Friendships formed in young adulthood can last for decades.