Meaning & use
arrested development
A failure to mature emotionally or psychologically beyond an earlier stage, despite growing older.
See it in a sentence
The therapist described his refusal to hold a job as a sign of arrested development.
Critics called the character's man-child behavior a textbook case of arrested development.
A note on using this word
Arrested development is often used informally, and somewhat judgmentally, to describe adults who behave immaturely, beyond its clinical origin.
Words with a similar meaning
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