Meaning & use
mature
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Fully grown or developed physically.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a mature tree, the fruit is mature.
Patterns
- fully mature
A mature oak can live for hundreds of years.
The fish are mature enough to lay eggs.
These mature plants need less water.
adjectivecomparable
Behaving in a sensible, balanced way that is expected of an adult.
Grammar: Often used about attitude: mature for her age.
Patterns
- mature for your age
- be mature about something
She handled the criticism in a mature way.
He is very mature for a twelve-year-old.
It was not mature to storm out of the room.
adjectivebefore a nouneuphemistic
Suited to adults, and so not suitable for children.
Grammar: Used before nouns like content or themes: mature themes.
Patterns
- mature content
- mature themes
The film contains mature themes and some strong language.
The game is rated for mature audiences.
This channel is for mature viewers only.
verbintransitive
To become fully developed, wise or ready, as a person, plant or product does.
Grammar: No object: the cheese matures.
Patterns
- mature into something
The shy boy matured into a confident leader.
The wine matures for ten years in oak barrels.
The market has matured, and growth has slowed.
verbintransitivefinance
To reach the date when a loan, bond or insurance policy is due to be paid.
Grammar: No object: the bond matures in 2030.
Patterns
- mature in a year
The savings bond matures in five years.
Her insurance policy matures next spring.
The loan will mature before the end of the year.
Word forms
| comparative | maturer |
|---|---|
| superlative | maturest |
| third person singular | matures |
| past tense | matured |
| past participle | matured |
| -ing form | maturing |
Common combinations
- mature adult
- A mature adult can make this decision calmly.
- mature for your age
- He seems mature for his age.
- mature cheese
- Mature cheese has a stronger flavor than young cheese.
- mature into
- The kitten matured into a calm, friendly cat.
- mature content
- Parents can block mature content on the tablet.
- mature economy
- A mature economy often grows more slowly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grown-up
- Grown-up is an informal word for adult, and mature stresses sensible behavior rather than age.
- adult
- Adult simply means fully grown or old enough, whereas mature suggests good judgment too.
- ripe
- Ripe describes fruit or cheese that is ready to eat, and mature is broader.
- developed
- Developed describes something advanced or complete in a stage of growth, while mature suggests it has reached full, stable form.
Opposites
Word family
- maturity noun
- the state of being fully developed
- maturation noun
- the process of becoming mature
- maturely adverb
- in a sensible adult way
- immature adjective
- not fully developed or sensible
- premature adjective
- happening too early
Commonly confused: mature or matured?
mature vs matured
Matured is the past form of the verb and does not describe a ripe person on its own. Use mature as the adjective.
Practice
She was only fifteen but already very ____ when it came to handling money.
Choose one answer.
The adjective mature fits after very and describes sensible behavior. Maturity and maturation are nouns, and maturing is a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mature”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.