maturation

UK: /ˌmætjʊˈreɪʃ^ən/ US: /ˌmætʃəˈreɪʃən/ ,(mach′ə rā′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mat•u•ra•tion  (mach′ə rā′shən), n. 

1. the act or process of maturating.

• Medieval Latin mātūrātiōn- (stem of mātūrātiō). See maturate, -ion
• Middle English: suppuration 1350–1400

mat′u•ra′tion•al, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

maturation / ˌmætjʊˈreɪʃən ˌmætʃʊ-/ noun

1. the process of maturing or ripening
2. the development of ova and spermatozoa from precursor cells in the ovary and testis, involving meiosis

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ma•ture /məˈtʊr, -ˈtyʊr, -ˈtʃʊr/   adj., -tur•er, -tur•est, v., -tured, -tur•ing. 
adj. 

1. fully developed in body or mind:
   mature enough to take care of herself when she came home from school.
2. complete in development:
   The wine is fully mature.
3. intended for or composed of adults:
   [before a noun] mature subjects; a movie for mature audiences.
4. Business payable; due:
   a mature bond.

v. 

5. to (cause to) become mature: [no object]
   The wine had matured beautifully.
   [~ + object]
   Experience has matured him.
6. to become due:
   [no object] The bond had matured and was worth $50.

mat•u•ra•tion /ˌmætʃəˈreɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
ma•ture•ly, adv. 
Related Words

mature is an adjective and a verb, maturity is a noun:
She's very mature for her age. The plants matured and grew. Face your problems with maturity.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ma•ture  (mə tŏŏr′, -tyŏŏr′, -chŏŏr′, -chûr′), adj., -tur•er, -tur•est, v., -tured, -tur•ing. 
adj. 

1. complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms:
   a mature rose bush.
2. ripe, as fruit, or fully aged, as cheese or wine.
3. fully developed in body or mind, as a person:
   a mature woman.
4. pertaining to or characteristic of full development:
   a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness.
5. completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind:
   mature plans.
6. Business (of an industry, technology, market, etc.) no longer developing or expanding;
   having little or no potential for further growth or expansion;
   exhausted or saturated.
7. intended for or restricted to adults, esp. by reason of explicit sexual content or the inclusion of violence or obscene language:
   mature movies.
8. composed of adults, considered as being less susceptible than minors to explicit sexual content, violence, or obscene language, as of a film or stage performance:
   for mature audiences only.
9. Business [Finance.] having reached the limit of its time;
   having become payable or due:
   a mature bond.
10. Medicine
    • having attained definitive form or function, as by maturation of an epithelium from a basal layer.
    • having attained the end stage of a normal or abnormal biological process:
      a mature boil.
11. Geology (of a landscape) exhibiting the stage of maximum topographical diversity, as in the cycle of erosion of a land surface.

v.t. 

12. to make mature;
    ripen, as fruit or cheese.
13. to bring to full development:
    His hard experiences in the city matured him.
14. to complete or perfect.

v.i. 

15. to become mature;
    ripen, as fruit or cheese.
16. to come to full development:
    Our plans have not yet matured.
17. [Finance.] to become due, as a note.

• Latin mātūrus ripe, timely, early; akin to manes, matutinal
• late Middle English 1400–50

ma•ture′ly, adv. 
ma•ture′ment, n. 
ma•ture′ness, n. 
ma•tur′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1, 3. aged, grown, adult.
• 2. See ripe. 
• 5. ready, prepared.
• 12, 15. age, develop.

Antonyms

• 1, 3. childish, raw, green, young.