maturity

/məˈtʃʊərəti/ (bre, ipa) · /məˈtʃʊrəti/ (ame, ipa) · /mə-ˈchu̇r-ə-tē -ˈchər- also -ˈtu̇r- -ˈtyu̇r-/ (ame, mw)

maturity — 名詞

1. The ability to act in a sensible, calm, and responsible way, especially during d

1.名詞B2
釋義

成熟

心智與行為上的成熟

The ability to act in a sensible, calm, and responsible way, especially during difficult or stressful situations.

例句

Romi showed great maturity by apologising to her team after the argument.

Romi 在爭論後向團隊道歉，展現了很大的成熟。

show + maturity + by + gerund for manner

When the team leader criticised Vivek's proposal, his calm, thoughtful response showed real maturity.

團隊主管批評 Vivek 的提案後，他冷靜而深思的反應展現了真正的成熟。

maturity shown by calm response to criticism

同義詞
  • wisdom

    implies deep understanding gained through experience, not just sensible behaviour

  • responsibility

    focuses on being accountable for actions rather than emotional maturity

  • sensible behaviour

    more specific to practical decision-making; narrower than emotional maturity

反義詞
  • immaturity

    the direct opposite — behaving in a childish or impulsive way

  • foolishness

    lack of good judgement, which contrasts with the wisdom aspect of maturity

文法句型

show + maturity

maturity + in + noun phrase

maturity + to + infinitive

用法筆記

Frequently used in personal development and workplace contexts. Often contrasted with childishness or impulsiveness. Emotional maturity does not necessarily come with age — a young person can show great maturity, and an adult can lack it.

常見錯誤

❌He showed a lot of maturity by crying during the movie.
✅He showed a lot of maturity by staying calm during the crisis.
💡maturity in this sense implies emotional control, not emotional expressiveness.

2. A highly developed, refined, or sophisticated state of something such as a techn

2.名詞B2
釋義

成熟階段

技術、藝術等發展到高階的狀態

A highly developed, refined, or sophisticated state of something such as a technology, art form, design, or creative work.

例句

Smartphone design has reached a remarkable maturity in the last few years.

智慧型手機的設計在過去幾年已經達到相當成熟的階段。

reach + maturity for describing development

Gita's paintings show a maturity of style that is unusual for such a young artist.

Gita 的畫作展現出對這麼年輕的藝術家來說不尋常的風格成熟度。

maturity of + noun for specific domain

同義詞
  • sophistication

    emphasises complexity and refinement more than simple advancement

  • refinement

    suggests polishing and perfecting, whereas maturity includes natural development

  • ripeness

    more metaphorical and less common in modern usage; works well for ideas and plans

反義詞
  • primitiveness

    an early, undeveloped stage

  • immaturity

    works here too — an immature design is one still being developed

文法句型

reach + maturity

maturity + of + noun

a maturity + in + noun

用法筆記

Used for non-living things — systems, technologies, creative works, or ideas. Describes a state that has been reached after gradual improvement or refinement. Not used for people in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The artist reached maturity at age twelve.
✅The artist's style reached maturity after years of experimentation.
💡for people, use sense 1 (emotional) or sense 3 (physical); this sense is for the work or the style, not the person.

3. The stage in the life of a person, animal, or plant when it has finished growing

3.名詞B1
釋義

發育成熟

生物體完全發育的階段

The stage in the life of a person, animal, or plant when it has finished growing physically and is fully developed.

例句

Most large dog breeds do not reach physical maturity until about two years old.

大多數大型犬種大約兩歲才會達到身體成熟。

reach + full + physical + maturity for age milestone

The cherry trees in the garden have reached maturity and now produce fruit every spring.

花園裡的櫻桃樹已經成熟，每年春天都會結果。

同義詞
反義詞
  • childhood

    the period before physical maturity

  • infancy

    the earliest stage of growth

  • youth

    the period before full physical development

文法句型

reach + maturity

at + maturity

physical + maturity

用法筆記

Used for all living things — humans, animals, and plants. For humans, physical maturity usually happens during the teenage years, but emotional maturity (sense 1) develops later and at different rates for different people.

常見錯誤

❌The puppy reached maturity at three months old.
✅The puppy reached maturity at around one year old.
💡different species reach physical maturity at very different ages; check typical growth timelines for the animal in question.

4. The point at which a financial product, such as a bond or insurance policy, comp

4.名詞B2
釋義

到期

投資或保險應給付的日期

The point at which a financial product, such as a bond or insurance policy, completes its term and the investor can collect the full value.

例句

Christopher plans to use his savings bond money when it reaches maturity next year.

Christopher 打算用明年到期的儲蓄債券的錢。

reach + maturity for financial products

The insurance policy will pay the full amount at maturity or upon the policyholder's death.

這份保單會在到期時或被保險人身故時給付全額。

同義詞
  • due date

    broader term; used for bills, payments, and assignments, not just investments

  • expiration

    focuses on the end of validity; maturity implies a payout event

  • redemption date

    more specific — the exact date when the issuer pays back the principal

反義詞
  • purchase date

    the start date of the investment, opposite of maturity date

  • issue date

    when the bond or policy was first created

文法句型

reach + maturity

at + maturity

maturity + date

on/upon + maturity

用法筆記

Always used in financial contexts. Common with instruments like bonds, insurance policies, certificates of deposit (CDs), and savings plans. Not used for loans in the same way — a loan 'matures' but the payment direction is reversed (the borrower pays the lender).

常見錯誤

❌The bank will pay me interest when my loan reaches maturity.
✅The bond issuer will pay me the principal when the bond reaches maturity.
💡for a loan at maturity, the borrower (you) pays the lender, not the other way around.