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Maturity is the state of having reached a stage of full or advanced development.

Maturity is a noun form of mature, which is commonly used as an adjective generally meaning fully developed (as a verb, mature generally means to fully develop). If a person shows or has maturity, they are mature, meaning they act grown-up. When an animal has reached maturity, it has reached adulthood. When a fruit has reached maturity, it’s ripe.

Maturity is also used in the context of finance to refer to the state of something being due for repayment, such as a bond.

Example: Some of my students show maturity, but the rest of them act like preschoolers.

The first records of mature and maturity come from the 1400s. Both ultimately derive from the Latin word �����ū���ܲ�, meaning “‘ripe,” “timely,” or “early.” The suffix -ity is used to make adjectives into nouns, as in words like purity (meaning “the state of being pure”).

Maturity is perhaps most often applied to people—typically to discuss whether they have it or they don’t. Someone with maturity is responsible and grown-up—they act in a way that’s mature. The opposite is immaturity. Though immaturity is often associated with youth and a lack of experience, you don’t have to be any particular age to show maturity (but at the very least you do have to act your age).

When a bond reaches maturity, it means it’s ready to pay out. If you cash it out before it reaches maturity, you won’t get the full amount. If you have the patience to wait, you’ll get the most out of it—kind of like waiting to eat a fruit until it reaches maturity (becomes ripe). Good news—patience is a sign of maturity.

What are some other forms of maturity?

• mature (adjective)
• immaturity (noun)
• nonmaturity (noun)
• overmaturity (noun)
• semimaturity (noun)

What are some synonyms for maturity?

• adulthood

What are some words that share a root or word element with maturity?��

• maturation

What are some words that often get used in discussing maturity?

• responsibility
• adulthood
• growth
• animal
• fruit
• plant
• bond
• explicit
• graphic

Maturity can be used in many different ways. Most of the time it’s used in reference to people, animals, plants, or money.

Your age doesn't define your maturity 💭

— JoshuaMicah (@iamjoshuamicah)

“Yours is a grave and sobering responsibility, but it is also a shining opportunity. You go out into a world where mankind is challenged, as it has never been challenged before, to prove its maturity and its mastery — not of nature, but of itself.”

— Maria Popova (@brainpicker)

It takes kale approximately 150 days to reach maturity

— AgriLand (@AgrilandIreland)

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Which of the following sentences does NOT use maturity correctly?

A. You can tell that strawberries have reached maturity when they’re bright red with green leaves.
B. Your maturity in class today was unacceptable—please try to act more grown-up.
C. You should wait to cash in the bond until it reaches full maturity.