mature

 
Pronunciation: /məˈtʃʊə/

adjective (maturer, maturest)

  • 1fully developed physically; full-grown: she was now a mature woman owls are sexually mature at one year
  • (especially of a young person) having reached a stage of mental or emotional development characteristic of an adult: a young man mature beyond his years
  • (of thought or planning) careful and thorough: on mature reflection he decided they should not go
  • used euphemistically to describe someone middle-aged or old: Miss Walker was a mature lady when she married
  • 2having reached the most advanced stage in a process: Van Gogh’s mature work
  • (of certain foods or drinks) ready for consumption: a rather nice mature Camembert
  • denoting an economy, industry, or market that has developed to a point where substantial expansion and investment no longer takes place: a mature, sophisticated economy
  • 3(of a bill, bond, etc.) due for payment or repayment.

verb

[no object]
  • 1(of a person or thing) become fully grown or developed: children mature at different ages the trees take at least thirty years to mature
  • (of a person) reach an advanced stage of mental or emotional development: he has matured and is ready to take on new responsibilities
  • (with reference to certain foods or drinks) become or cause to become ready for consumption: [no object]: leave the cheese to mature [with object]: the Scotch is matured for a minimum of three years
  • 2(of an insurance policy, security, etc.) reach the end of its term and hence become payable: when the policy matures it pays off the loan

Derivatives

maturely

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin maturus 'timely, ripe'; perhaps related to matins