The meaning of MATURE is having completed natural growth and development : ripe. How to use mature in a sentence. MATURE meaning: 1. Mature people behave like adults in a way that shows they are well developed emotionally: 2. A…. Learn more. 1. To bring to full development; ripen. 2. To work out fully in the mind: "able to digest and mature my thoughts for my own mind only" (John Stuart Mill). fully developed in body or mind, as a person: a mature woman. pertaining to or characteristic of full development: a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness. There are 21 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word mature, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Dec 28, 2025 · mature (comparative more mature, superlative most mature) Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe. MATURE definition: complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms. See examples of mature used in a sentence. If you describe someone as mature, you think that they are fully developed and balanced in their personality and emotional behaviour. Definition of mature adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. We were surprised by how mature [= adult] she had become. She's very mature for her age. He has a mature outlook on life. His parents didn't think he was mature enough to live on his own.