mature
mature — adjective
- maturepositive
- more maturecomparative
- most maturesuperlative
1. acting with good judgment, emotional control, and a sense of responsibility, the
acting with good judgment, emotional control, and a sense of responsibility, the kind of behavior you expect from a sensible adult.
Liang showed mature behavior by apologizing to his younger sister.
mature + noun: behavior, attitude, response
It was mature of Brooke to admit that she had made a mistake.
it + be + mature + of + person + to-infinitive
The students' mature attitude impressed the school principal.
Quan handled the criticism in a very mature way.
A mature response to disappointment shows emotional strength.
- mature attitude
- mature behavior
- mature response
- mature way
- mature decision
- grown-up
more informal, often used with children
- responsible
focuses on reliability rather than emotional development
- sensible
emphasizes practical good judgment over emotional control
Grammar Patterns
mature + noun
be mature
Usage Note
Commonly used to describe children or teenagers who act more responsibly than expected for their age. When talking about adults, 'mature' often implies that the person is handling a difficult situation well.
Common Mistakes
2. made after taking enough time to think carefully about all the facts and possibl
made after taking enough time to think carefully about all the facts and possible results, especially about an important decision or plan.
After mature consideration, the board voted to accept the offer.
after mature consideration — fixed phrase
Gabriel made a mature choice about which university to attend.
The committee reached a mature judgment after weeks of debate.
A mature plan takes into account both the benefits and the risks.
mature + noun: plan, judgment, decision, choice
- mature consideration
- mature judgment
- mature decision
- mature choice
- mature plan
- considered
similar formality, but does not imply as much time spent
- well-thought-out
more informal, emphasizes planning
- deliberate
suggests slow, intentional decision-making
Grammar Patterns
mature + noun
after mature consideration
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used with nouns that refer to decisions, judgments, plans, or opinions. It is more formal than 'careful' and often appears in business or official contexts.
3. having reached the final stage of natural physical growth and no longer getting
having reached the final stage of natural physical growth and no longer getting bigger or developing further.
The oak tree in the park is now fully mature.
fully mature — common adverb collocation
Mature elephants can weigh over five thousand kilograms.
The forest has both young saplings and mature trees.
A mature human body has stopped growing in height.
These birds reach their mature size within six months.
- fully mature
- mature tree
- mature adult
- mature size
- mature plant
- adult
used for people and animals that are legally or biologically grown
- full-grown
more informal, emphasizes reaching maximum size
- developed
broader term, can also describe skills or features
- young
at an early stage of growth
- immature
not yet fully grown
- undeveloped
has not yet reached its full form
Grammar Patterns
mature + noun
be mature
become mature
reach mature size
Usage Note
Use for animals, plants, and body parts. For fruit and crops, use 'ripe' instead. For people, 'mature' in this sense focuses on physical development; do not use it to mean 'middle-aged' or 'elderly'.
Common Mistakes
4. describing a food or drink that has developed a rich, strong, and complex flavor
describing a food or drink that has developed a rich, strong, and complex flavor because it has been left to age over time.
This mature cheese has a strong, nutty taste.
mature cheese / mature wine — common in food marketing
The restaurant serves only mature wine from France.
Samir prefers mature cheddar to the mild variety.
A mature whiskey has a smoother and deeper flavor.
- mature cheese
- mature wine
- mature cheddar
- mature whiskey
- mature flavor
Grammar Patterns
mature + noun: cheese, wine, whiskey
Usage Note
Primarily used for cheese, wine, whiskey, and vinegar. For fruit, use 'ripe' instead. For meat that has been aged, 'aged' is more common than 'mature'.
5. describing a financial product such as an insurance policy, bond, or investment
describing a financial product such as an insurance policy, bond, or investment that has reached the end of its agreed period and can now be cashed in for its value.
The mature bond paid out five thousand dollars to the investor.
mature + noun: bond, policy, investment
Élise received a check from her mature life insurance policy.
When a policy is mature, the holder can claim its full value.
The bank sent a statement about Brooke's mature savings plan.
- mature bond
- mature policy
- mature investment
- mature savings plan
- due
broader term for any payment that must be made
- redeemable
technical term meaning the holder can cash it in
Grammar Patterns
mature + noun: bond, policy, investment
Usage Note
Technical finance term. Not used for everyday bills or loans — those are 'due' rather than 'mature'. The noun form 'maturity' is also very common in this context ('the bond reached maturity').
Common Mistakes
mature — verb
- maturepresent simple I / you / we / they
- matures3rd person singular
- maturing-ing form
- maturedpast simple
1. to develop emotionally and mentally, so that your thinking and actions become mo
to develop emotionally and mentally, so that your thinking and actions become more responsible, sensible, and controlled, or to help someone go through this change.
David matured a lot during his first year at university.
intransitive: person matures over time
Traveling alone for a year helped Nellie mature emotionally.
The experience of losing his job matured Gabriel in ways he had not expected.
transitive: experience matures a person
After losing the chess tournament, Asher matured enough to congratulate the winner warmly.
intransitive: person matures through a specific experience
Nala matured into a confident young woman who speaks her mind.
- mature emotionally
- mature into
- mature as a person
- help someone mature
Grammar Patterns
mature (intransitive)
mature + object (transitive: cause to mature)
Usage Note
Frequently used to describe teenagers or young adults going through a positive change in behavior. The transitive form ('The experience matured him') is less common than the intransitive form ('He matured').
2. to develop gradually into a more complete, detailed, or thoughtful form, especia
to develop gradually into a more complete, detailed, or thoughtful form, especially about ideas, opinions, artistic styles, or plans.
Devika's understanding of urban design matured after she visited five different cities.
intransitive: understanding/views/ideas mature through experience
The painter's style matured as she experimented with new techniques.
Quan's understanding of the problem matured with each project he led.
The plan matured from a rough sketch into a detailed proposal.
- view matures
- style matures
- understanding matures
- plan matures
- ideas mature over time
- stagnate
stop developing or improving
Grammar Patterns
idea/opinion/plan + matures
mature over time/with age
Usage Note
Only used for abstract things — ideas, opinions, artistic work, understanding. Never used for physical objects in this sense. The subject is always an intangible thing that becomes more refined over time.
Common Mistakes
3. to go through the natural process of physical growth until reaching the final ad
to go through the natural process of physical growth until reaching the final adult size and form, as living things do.
Puppies mature quickly in their first year of life.
intransitive: living thing matures physically
These bamboo trees take several years to mature fully.
The fruit matures in late summer and is ready to pick.
A human brain continues to mature into the mid-twenties.
The tadpoles matured into frogs by the end of spring.
- mature quickly
- mature fully
- mature slowly
- mature into
- fully mature
Grammar Patterns
mature (intransitive)
mature fully
mature into
Usage Note
Used for animals, plants, body parts, and sometimes fruit. For fruit specifically, 'ripen' is more common for the process of becoming ready to eat, while 'mature' emphasizes reaching full size.
4. to develop a rich, full flavor by being kept for a period of time under controll
to develop a rich, full flavor by being kept for a period of time under controlled conditions, or to deliberately keep food or drink so that this happens.
The red wine was left to mature in oak barrels for two years.
passive: be matured / left to mature
This cheese needs to mature for at least six months.
The winery matures its best wines in underground cellars.
Flavors in the sauce mature over time, becoming richer.
intransitive: flavors mature over time
Ramón learned how to mature beef in a temperature-controlled room.
transitive: person matures food/drink deliberately
- mature in barrels
- left to mature
- mature for months
- matured cheese
- matured wine
Grammar Patterns
mature (intransitive: food/drink matures)
mature + object (transitive: age food/drink)
Usage Note
In cooking and wine-making, 'age' is a common alternative ('aged cheese', 'aged beef'). 'Mature' sounds slightly more technical or formal. This sense is also used for tobacco leaves and certain sauces.
5. to reach the end of a fixed period, after which the money invested or insured mu
to reach the end of a fixed period, after which the money invested or insured must be paid out to the person who owns the policy, bond, or investment.
Bilal's ten-year savings bond matures in June of next year.
intransitive: financial product matures on a date
When her retirement policy matures, Megan will receive the full amount.
The family's investment matured after fifteen years in the fund.
David checked the date when his education fund would mature.
- bond matures
- policy matures
- investment matures
- mature on a date
- mature after years
- come due
more general, can be used for any payment deadline
- become payable
formal, used in legal and financial documents
Grammar Patterns
bond/policy/investment + matures
mature on + date
Usage Note
Almost always used in formal financial contexts. The noun 'maturity' is equally common ('the bond reaches maturity in 2030'). Do not use this verb for loans or credit cards — those use 'become due'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- maturitynounB1
- maturationnounB2
- immatureadjectiveB1
- immaturitynounB2
- prematureadjectiveB2
- prematurelyadverbB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
These four words all describe good behavior, but with different emphases. 'Mature' focuses on emotional development and self-control — a mature person can handle disappointment without losing their temper. 'Grown-up' is more informal and often used with children ('Be a grown-up and clean your room'). 'Responsible' emphasizes reliability and duty ('a responsible employee always meets deadlines'), while 'sensible' focuses on practical, logical judgment ('a sensible choice in rainy weather is to bring an umbrella'). Example: 'It was mature of Ming to apologize,' but 'It was sensible of her to check the weather forecast before the trip.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'mature' comes from Latin 'maturus,' meaning 'ripe, timely, early.' It entered English through French in the 1400s, first used for fruit and crops becoming ripe, and later extended to people's physical growth, emotional development, and financial products. The meaning shifted from 'timely' to 'fully developed' over centuries of use.
First known use
15th century
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1) Verb