Etymology of the English word adult
the English word
adultderived from the Latin word
adultus (adult; one who has reached legal maturity; grown, mature)
derived from the Latin word
adolescere (burn, blaze up, flame; grow up, mature, reach manhood)
derived from the Latin word
alere (feed, nourish, rear)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*al-Date
The earliest known usage of adult in English dates from the 16th century.
Derivations in English
preadultCognates
Catalan
adult, French
adulte, Italian
adulto, Spanish
adultoUsage
Word found in Modern English
