adult,a.|əˈdʌlt,ˈædʌlt|[ad.L. adult-uspa.pple.of adolesc-ĕre to grow up; butperh.as first used a direct adoption of theFr.adulte, a 16th c. adaptation of the L. Though once used by Elyot, not really naturalized till the middle of the 17th c., being unknown to Cotgrave, Florio, and Minsheu, in translatingFr.adulte,It.andSp.adulto.]A.adj.1. a.Grown up, having reached the age of maturity. (Of men, and, inmod.use, of animals.)1531ElyotGovernour ii. i. (R.)Soche persons being now adulte, that is to sei passed their childehode.[1611Cotgr.,Hors de paye (Fr.), Adultus, past breeching..growne a tall man, or, a full-growne man.]1653BaxterChr.Conc.10,I intend to have the Names of all the Members in a Church-Book (the Adult in one Colume and the Infants in another).1726AyliffeParergon 369An adult Age is above the age of Puberty, and under that of twenty-five years.1836ThirlwallGreece III. xxiv. 360They put to death all the adult citizens, and enslaved the women and children.1871DarwinDesc.Man.I. i. 13The orang is believed not to be adult till the age of from ten to fifteen years.b.Of persons: characteristically mature in attitude, outlook, etc.; also, befitting or suitable for adults, asopp.to children or youngsters.Cf.grown-upppl.a. 2.1929E. BowenJoining Charles 144In eight years or so the children will..really matter. They'll have all sorts of ideas and feelings; they'll be what's called ‘adult’.1930V. Sackville-WestEdwardians vi. 291They played the childish games, with the adult game lying behind them.1945E. WaughBrideshead Revisited i. ii. 41It seems to me that I grew younger daily with each adult habit that I acquired.1960Times 25 Apr. 4/1Their[sc. a football team's]mental approach was conditioned largely by their adult effervescent captain, Blanchflower.1976G. Gordon100 Scenes from Married Life 79Robert called Edward by his first name when confiding in him, when the boy felt that he and his father were discussing adult matters[etc.].c.Applied euphem.to premises or productions ostensibly restricted to adult access, as adult cinema, adult entertainment, adult movie, etc.; pornographic, sexually explicit. N.Amer.1958New Musical Express 20 June 11/2 (Advt.),Unusual adult photo sets. S.a.e. Free exciting offer.1972Harper's Bazaar July 55/3Nude shows and the misnomered ‘adult’ cinema can flower.1977Guardian Weekly 10 July 17The governor of California could be seen emerging from a restaurant in the middle of one of the gaudier blocks of strip shows, massage parlors and ‘adult’ entertainments in this city.1978Verbatim Sept. 5/2As one child speaking to another in a New Yorker cartoon succinctly puts it, ‘Adult means ‘dirty’.’.. We have ‘adult’ movies, books, and magazines.1984Tampa (Florida) Tribune 2 Apr. 16a/3Rentals for adult videos outstrip purchases by 12 to 1.d.Of accommodation: designed for the use of elderly persons. Hence also, of or pertaining to the elderly. N.Amer.1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 13 Jan. 4/5 (Advt.),Forest Hill, 1 bedroom, small adult building.1984Tampa (Florida) Tribune 2 Apr. 6b/5According to our recently released study of adult home buying habits in Hillsborough County, The Tampa Tribune has strong readership among all types of home buyers.2.fig.Of anything growing, as a plant, a language: Matured, full-grown.1670G. H.tr.Hist.Cardinals i. ii. 55Heresie (that is but Schism adult).1752ChambersCycl.Supp.s.v.,Adult plants..differ from immature ones in that they contain more oil, and less salt.1838Sir J. Macintosh inEncycl.Brit.(ed.7) 294He can as rarely hazard glaring innovations in diction, at least in an adult and mature language like ours.B.n.1. a.A person adult; one who has reached maturity. adult baptism: the baptism of those only who are ecclesiastically adults, or of the years of discretion; opposed to infant baptism.1658BaxterSaving Grace §4. 26Neither common nor proper Grace is ordinarily infused (at least into the Adult).1686Bp.Compton Episc.Lett.34 (T.)The Jews, when they admitted adults into their synagogues.1752ChambersCycl.Supp.s.v.,Several conditions and preparations were required at the baptism of adults.1797GodwinEnquirer i. x. 90Treat the child..as he would an adult.1851H. SpencerSoc.Stat.xvii. §1They must say what rights are common to children and adults, and why.b.adult illiteracy, adult illiterate, adult literacy; adult education, the further education of those over ordinary school age (as in the universities), but commonly used of that provided by local educational authorities, etc.; adult training centre, a training centre at which (esp.young mentally handicapped) adults learn practical and other skills.1851J. W. Hudson (title)The history of *adult education.1922G. M. TrevelyanBrit.Hist.in 19thCent.164The case of adult education received its first stimulus from the Industrial Revolution in the desire of mechanics for general scientific knowledge, and the willingness of the more intelligent part of the middle class to help to supply their demand.1942Spectator 6 Mar. 244/3The Cambridgeshire Technical Institute..is the centre of adult education, both humane and vocational, in Cambridge and district.1958Whitaker's Almanack 509Adult Education is carried on in the United Kingdom by universities and university colleges..local education authorities..and by a wide variety of voluntary organizations.1973A. Locke inTimes 6 Aug. 13/4Growing concern about the problem of *adult illiteracy in Britain.1977GrimsbyEven.Tel.14 May 5/7Craig..was attending a school for adult illiteracy and had the chance to go to a rehabilitation centre inLeicester.1973A. Locke inTimes 6 Aug. 13/5The dearth of suitable reading books for *adult illiterates.1961Brit.Survey July 22Among other notable activities undertaken in the programme are..mass education, especially the *adult literacy campaign, women's and children's welfare,[etc.].1975Language for Life (Dept.Educ.&Sci.) xix. 278Since 1950 adult literacy programmes in England have provided at least 30,700 adults with instruction for a period of 6 months or one school term.1962Training of Staff of Training Centres for Mentally Subnormal (Min.of Health) 9The diploma course for the staff of *adult training centres is also open to both men and women.1978Dumfries & Galloway Standard 21 Oct. 1/5Also on the council's priority list is the 39-place adult training centre in Annan.