adult
/ˈæd.ʌlt/noun, adjective, verb
adult is spelled A-D-U-L-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 63 times per million words in written English, the 1,668th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, adult means “An animal that is full-grown” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of adult is adults.
How many letters and syllables are in adult?
| Letters | 5: A-D-U-L-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 63 times per million words; the 1,668th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is adult?
Adult appears 63 times per million words in written English, the 1,668th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce adult?
- UK /ˈæd.ʌlt/
- UK /ˈæd.əlt/
- /əˈdʌlt/
Adult has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-gb-adult.ogg, En-ca-adult.opus, En-us-adult.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of adult
- adults plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- more adult comparative
- most adult superlative
- adulting participle, present
- adulted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does adult mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An animal that is full-grown.
- 2
A person who has reached the legal age of majority.
adjective
- 1
Fully grown.
an adult human, animal, or plant
- 2
Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children due to size, maturity, knowledge level, judgement, etc.
adult clothes; adult cereal; an adult documentary
- 3
Containing situations or discussions intended primarily for adults, such as serious crime, illicit drug use, extramarital affairs, etc.
adult situations; adult discussions
- 4
Containing alcohol, intended for consumption only by adults.
an adult drink; an adult root beer float
- 5
Containing marijuana, intended for consumption only by adults.
an adult cookie; adult gummy worms
- 6
Containing material of an explicit sexual nature; pornographic.
an adult movie
- 7
Containing excessive vulgar or profane speech, text or images, intended only for adults.
adult language; an adult cartoon
- 8
Intended for, or restricted to, those who are not young children.
an adult menu; an adult fare
verb
- 1
slangTo behave like an adult.
Adulting is hard!
- 2
nonstandardrareTo (cause to) be or become an adult.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Adult in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | adulte, grande personne, grand |
| German | Erwachsener, Erwachsene , erwachsen |
| Portuguese | adulto, adulta |
| Spanish | adulto, adulta |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does adult come from?
From French adulte, from Latin adultus (“grown up”), perfect passive participle of adolescō (“to grow up”). Compare adolescent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).