Meanings
plural adults in the room
- figurativelyin pluraloftenSomeone, especially a senior member of staff, who counteracts impulsive or reckless behavior.
China Is the Adult in the Room on Climate Now [title]
2025 September 26, Li Shuo, “China Is the Adult in the Room on Climate Now”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Oct 20252 more examples
“Keep in mind, these guys were the adults in the room in the first Trump administration keeping Trump from going full dictator,” said [Michael] Kosta. “And they’re not going to be there the second time around.[…]”
2024 October 24, Michael Kosta, quotee, “Seth Meyers on Trump: ‘A ridiculous buffoon and an incredibly dangerous menace’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2025Since Donald Trump’s first term, they have been viewed comfortingly as the “adults in the room,” a last line of defense against the impulsive whims of a president with access to the nuclear codes.
2026 May 3, Robert Tait, “‘This is just disarray’: alarm inside Pentagon after Hegseth staff purges”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 03 May 2026
Cite this entry
adult in the room. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adult%20in%20the%20room
“adult in the room.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adult%20in%20the%20room. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adult in the room,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adult%20in%20the%20room.
Source: adult in the room on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.