For the band, see ADULT.

The term adult describes any mature organism, but normally it refers to a human: one that is no longer a child / minor and is now either a man or a woman. Coming of age is the event of becoming an adult, i.e. of entering adulthood. Historically, adulthood has been determined by puberty, which is physical or biological adulthood; passing a series of tests to demonstrate the child is prepared for adulthood; or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally-specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.

"Adult" also means "not considered suitable for children", in particular as a euphemism for being related to sexual behaviour, such as adult entertainment, adult video, adult magazine, adult bookstore. However, adult education simply means education for adults, not particularly sex education.

More on [ Adult ]

NPR Topics: Arts & Life

James Cameron, A King With A Soft Touch?
Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:38:00 -0500
The Avatar director says you shouldn't believe those stories about what a tyrant he is on set. And although he created his very own alien world for his first film since the megahit Titanic, Cameron insists that finding emotional honesty in an FX extravaganza isn't as challenging as you might think.
'Nine': Creatively Blocked, But Still Putting On A Show
Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:23:00 -0500
Fresh out of ideas for his new film, a famous director turns to his muses — his wife, a mistress, a movie star and more — for inspiration. Rob Marshall's splashy adaptation has all the razzle-dazzle display of its musical-theater roots, but as each woman takes her turn in the costume parade, the plot's thinness becomes increasingly apparent, and Nine begins to feel less like a show than a showcase.
Proposed Uganda Law: If You See A Homosexual, Call The Police
Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0500
The Ugandan Parliament is considering a bill that would increase penalties for homosexuality, in some cases making it punishable by death. Host Michel Martin talks to NPR's East Africa Correspondent Gwen Thompkins about reaction to the anti-gay bill, what its passage could mean for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Uganda and the contested role a group of American Evangelical pastors have played in drumming up support for the bill

NYT > Arts

For the Homeless, Music That Fills a Void
By DANIEL J. WAKIN Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:46:27 -0000
Kelly Hall-Tompkins, a professional violinist on a mission, takes her art to shelters.
Music Review | The New York Philharmonic: New Sounds From a Smaller Stage
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:28:09 -0000
The New York Philharmonic begins Contact!, a series of contemporary works.
Casino Chief Said to Own Rembrandt
By CAROL VOGEL Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:43:58 -0000
The mysterious telephone bidder who paid $33.2 million for a Rembrandt portrait was buying the painting on behalf of the casino owner.

Arts & Culture

David Denby: “Avatar” and “Sherlock Holmes.”
David Denby Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
James Cameron’s “Avatar” is the most beautiful film I’ve seen in years. Amid the hoopla over the new power of 3-D as a narrative form, and the excitement about the complicated mix of digital animation and live action that made the movie possible . . .
Vince Aletti: Robert Bergman, at the National Gallery of Art, P.S.1, and the Yossi Milo gallery.
Vince Aletti Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
The breathlessly over-the-top critical support that propelled the 1998 publication of Robert Bergman’s photographs of Americans on the margins (in his afterword, Meyer Schapiro called the portraits “truly profound works of art”) seemed all out of proportion to the modesty and intimacy of the . . .
Shauna Lyon: Permanent Brunch, in the East Village.
Shauna Lyon Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
paragraph class="noindent">Wouldn’t it be awesome, this East Village restaurant posits, to have bacon—five kinds!—for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Actually, everyone does that these days. So add in fluffy pancakes, seared steak and eggs sunny-side-up, smoked salmon layered with avocado on . . .

Christian Science Monitor | Arts/Entertainment

India's arts and crafts: new books that offer an eye-popping overview
Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
Both traditional and avant-garde Indian imagery are given colorful display in these four richly diverse books that celebrate the continent's creativity.
2009 Gift Guide
Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0000
Monitor picks for TV, movies, music, and games.
Why Morocco went Hollywood
Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0000
For decades, it's been a stand-in for Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Egypt, the American West – and now, Iraq.

Subscribe to Adult RSS feed