mature
1 of 2adjective
ma·ture mə-ˈchu̇r 
-ˈchər,
also
-ˈtu̇r -ˈtyu̇r
maturer; maturest
1
: based on slow careful consideration
a mature judgment
2
a(1)
: having completed natural growth and development : ripe
mature fruit
(2)
: having undergone maturation
b
: having attained a final or desired state
mature wine
c
: having achieved a low but stable growth rate
paper is a mature industry
d
: of, relating to, or being an older adult : elderly
airline discounts for mature travelers
3
a
: of or relating to a condition of full development
a man of mature years
b
: characteristic of or suitable to a mature individual
mature outlook
a show with mature content
4
: due for payment
a mature loan
5
: belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion
a mature stream
maturely adverb
mature
2 of 2verb
matured; maturing
transitive verb
: to bring to maturity or completion
intransitive verb
1
: to become fully developed or ripe
2
: to become due
Synonyms
Adjective
- adult
- full-blown
- full-fledged
- matured
- ripe
- ripened
Verb
- age
- develop
- grow
- grow up
- progress
- ripen
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective She's very mature for her age. He has a mature outlook on life. His parents didn't think he was mature enough to live on his own. Their bodies were mature, but they still behaved like children. After mature reflection, he concluded that he had been mistaken. Verb Girls mature earlier than boys both physically and mentally. Her talent is maturing slowly. Wine and cheese mature with age. The bond matures in 10 years. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022 Jack Hollis, a top Toyota executive in North America, said in August that the EV marketplace isn’t mature enough yet and hybrid vehicles are likely a better near-term solution for many customers. River Davis, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Brown is mature enough to understand the NBA is a business. Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022 On average, about half of the eggs retrieved are mature enough to implant with sperm. Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022 Arbogast said parents have to decide whether their child is mature enough and has enough riding experience for an e-bike. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 Be mature enough to listen but wise enough to know if the advice is good or not. Tiffany Kelly, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 The offense must buy the defense breathing room until the defense is mature enough to do the same. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 30 July 2022 Instead of the Academy’s punishing Will Smith (who simply wasn’t mature enough to just walk out on the circus as Eddie Murphy did in 2007), some screenwriter should be inspired to help him in his search for art and for moral equilibrium. Armond White, National Review, 30 Mar. 2022 Sairah Ashman, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Agbaji isn’t another inexperienced teenager who needs time to mature -- physically and mentally. Chris Fedor, cleveland, 17 July 2022 Iceland’s weak soil is low in nitrogen, which means trees take a long time to mature, and its cooler temperatures also present a challenge for tree growth. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 12 July 2022 For now, none of the pines have had time to mature, and the highly flammable oaks, manzanitas and brush growing around them are too volatile a fuel for prescribed fires. AZCentral.com, 20 June 2022 On June 1, the Fed plans to let those securities start to mature without replacing them. Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2022 At the clinic, the owl had time to mature, do flight exercises and practice hunting. Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, 24 May 2022 Gardens take time to mature, so begin planting as soon as possible. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2022 While 7 seems young, kids often have questions or are exposed to mature subjects before parents are ready to address them. oregonlive, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Adjective
The Merge is happening now because ethereum is mature enough to handle financial payments, store non-fungible tokens, trade crypto and host smart contracts, said blockchain expert Merav Ozair. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022 Jack Hollis, a top Toyota executive in North America, said in August that the EV marketplace isn’t mature enough yet and hybrid vehicles are likely a better near-term solution for many customers. River Davis, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Brown is mature enough to understand the NBA is a business. Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022 On average, about half of the eggs retrieved are mature enough to implant with sperm. Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022 Arbogast said parents have to decide whether their child is mature enough and has enough riding experience for an e-bike. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 Be mature enough to listen but wise enough to know if the advice is good or not. Tiffany Kelly, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 The offense must buy the defense breathing room until the defense is mature enough to do the same. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 30 July 2022 Instead of the Academy’s punishing Will Smith (who simply wasn’t mature enough to just walk out on the circus as Eddie Murphy did in 2007), some screenwriter should be inspired to help him in his search for art and for moral equilibrium. Armond White, National Review, 30 Mar. 2022 Verb
And it’s these skills that are increasingly attracting a premium and that often take time to mature. Sairah Ashman, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Agbaji isn’t another inexperienced teenager who needs time to mature -- physically and mentally. Chris Fedor, cleveland, 17 July 2022 Iceland’s weak soil is low in nitrogen, which means trees take a long time to mature, and its cooler temperatures also present a challenge for tree growth. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 12 July 2022 For now, none of the pines have had time to mature, and the highly flammable oaks, manzanitas and brush growing around them are too volatile a fuel for prescribed fires. AZCentral.com, 20 June 2022 On June 1, the Fed plans to let those securities start to mature without replacing them. Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2022 At the clinic, the owl had time to mature, do flight exercises and practice hunting. Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, 24 May 2022 Gardens take time to mature, so begin planting as soon as possible. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2022 While 7 seems young, kids often have questions or are exposed to mature subjects before parents are ready to address them. oregonlive, 30 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Verb
Middle English, from Latin maturus ripe; akin to Latin mane in the morning, manus good
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Phrases Containing mature
Kids Definition
mature 1 of 2
adjective
ma·ture mə-ˈtu̇r
-ˈtyu̇r,
-ˈchu̇r
maturer; maturest
1
: fully grown or developed : adult, ripe
mature fruit
mature fish
2
: having or showing the qualities of an adult person
a mature outlook
3
: due for payment
a mature loan
mature
2 of 2verb
matured; maturing
1
: to reach full development
2
: to become due for payment
The savings bond matures in ten years.
Medical Definition
mature 1 of 2
adjective
ma·ture
mə-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r also -ˈchu̇(ə)r
maturer; maturest
1
: having completed natural growth and development
a mature ovary
2
: having undergone maturation
mature germ cells
mature
2 of 2verb
matured; maturing
transitive verb
: to bring to maturity or completion
intransitive verb
: to become fully developed or ripe
Legal Definition
mature
verb
ma·ture
mə-ˈtu̇r, -ˈchu̇r
matured; maturing
transitive verb
: to bring to maturity
a policy matured by the death of the insured
intransitive verb
: to become due, payable, or enforceable
specifically : to entitle one to immediate enjoyment of benefits
her pension right matured upon retirement
compare vest mature 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in matured
fully grown or developed I like pears when they're still hard, before they're mature Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- matured
- ripe
- adult
- ripened
- older
- aging
- aged
- ageing
- old
- full-fledged
- full-blown
- mellow
- long-lived
- golden
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- young
- immature
- youthful
- juvenile
- adolescent
- green
- unripe
- youngish
- burgeoning
- flowering
- flourishing
- unripened
- blooming
- undeveloped
- blossoming
- unfinished
- unformed
- unfledged
2
as in due
having reached the date at which payment is required mature bonds Synonyms & Similar Words
- due
- outstanding
- delinquent
- unpaid
- owing
- owed
- receivable
- payable
- unsettled
- overdue
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cleared
- repaid
- liquidated
- settled
- paid (off or up)
- prepaid
- undue
3
as in grown-up
relating to or typical of adults; displaying proper maturity that wasn't a very mature response to my well-meaning criticism Synonyms & Similar Words
- grown-up
- adult
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- immature
- adolescent
- childish
- infantile
- kiddish
4
as in adult
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material a mature talk show that is available only on pay-cable Synonyms & Similar Words
- adult
- pornographic
- sexy
- erotic
- suggestive
- erotical
- crude
- porny
- bedroom
- X-rated
- gross
- lustful
- coarse
- kinky
- filthy
- lewd
- lascivious
- naughty
- smutty
- bawdy
- indecent
- obscene
- vulgar
- dirty
- ribald
- perverted
- earthy
- salacious
- hard-core
- soft-core
- wanton
- racy
- prurient
- salty
- immodest
- unbecoming
- unprintable
- wicked
- nasty
- indecorous
- profane
- foul
- debasing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- clean
- prudish
- polite
- proper
- straightlaced
- decent
- prim
- puritanical
- G-rated
- genteel
- priggish
- correct
- decorous
- straitlaced
- seemly
- Victorian
mature
2 of 2verb
as in to grow
to become mature a young figure skater whose talent is still maturing Synonyms & Similar Words
- grow
- progress
- age
- develop
- ripen
- grow up
- mellow
- blossom
- flower
- bloom
- evolve
- flourish
- soften
- open
- bourgeon
- gray
- get along
- burgeon
- unfold
- get on
- advance
- grey
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- degenerate
- deteriorate
- decline
- decay
- dry
- sink
- worsen
- waste (away)
- weaken
- fade
- wilt
- shrivel
- wither
- revert
- wane
- sag
- regress
- return
- flag
- droop
- lapse
- retrogress
- backslide