come of age

verb

To reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

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Meanings

verbcome of age (third-person singular simple present comes of age, present participle coming of age, simple past came of age, past participle come of age)

present singular third person comes of age · participle present coming of age · past came of age

  1. idiomaticTo reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult.

    I should like to know whether anyone belonging to the houses that bound the line there came of age or got married on the twenty-sixth of November.

    1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados
  2. broadlyidiomaticTo mature, or become fully developed.

    Eager to find a better life, you joined the Alliance military when you came of age. You volunteered for an expedition to Akuze: a lush world on the outskirts of Alliance space that had suddenly dropped out of contact.

    2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Profile Codex entry

Translations

Arabic بَلَغَ رُشْدَهُ
  • بَلَغَ رُشْدَهُ (balaḡa rušdahu)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Chinese Mandarin 成年, 成熟
  • 成年 (chéngnián)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • 成熟 (chéngshú)mature, or become fully developed
Czech dosáhnout plnoletosti
  • dosáhnout plnoletostireach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Finnish tulla täysi-ikäiseksi, tulla täysi-ikäiseksi
  • tulla täysi-ikäiseksireach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • tulla täysi-ikäiseksimature, or become fully developed
French atteindre la majorité, maturer
  • atteindre la majoritéreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • maturermature, or become fully developed
  • mûrirmature, or become fully developed
German volljährig werden, erwachsen werden
  • volljährig werdenreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • erwachsen werdenmature, or become fully developed
Greek ηλικιώνομαι
  • ηλικιώνομαι (ilikiónomai)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Hebrew התבגר
  • התבגר (hitbagér)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Hungarian nagykorú lesz, felnő
  • nagykorú leszreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • felnőmature, or become fully developed
Indonesian berumur
  • berumurreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Irish aosaigh
  • aosaighreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Italian diventare maggiorenne, maturare
  • diventare maggiorennereach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • maturaremature, or become fully developed
Japanese 成人になる, 成人する
  • 成人になる (seijin ni naru)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • 成人する (seijin suru)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Polish dorastać, dorosnąć
  • dorastaćreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • dorosnąćreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Romanian a ajunge la majorat, a se matura
  • a ajunge la majoratreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • a se maturamature, or become fully developed
Russian стать совершеннолетним, достичь совершеннолетия
  • стать совершеннолетним (statʹ soveršennoletnim)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • достичь совершеннолетия (dostičʹ soveršennoletija)reach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • повзрослеть (povzrosletʹ)mature, or become fully developed
  • достичь зрелости (dostičʹ zrelosti)mature, or become fully developed
Scottish Gaelic thig gu ìre, thig gu ìre
  • thig gu ìrereach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • thig gu ìremature, or become fully developed
Spanish alcanzar la mayoría de edad, madurar
  • alcanzar la mayoría de edadreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
  • madurarmature, or become fully developed
Swedish bli myndig
  • bli myndigreach a specific age where one is legally considered to be an adult
Cite this entry
APA

come of age. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20of%20age

MLA

“come of age.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20of%20age. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come of age,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20of%20age.

Source: come of age on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.