Mature (noun) refers to a fully developed stage or person, typically connected with adulthood or fully-grown form. It denotes a state of completeness, growth, or refinement, and can describe objects or systems that have reached their optimal or fully developed condition. In usage, it often implies readiness or seriousness aligned with grown-up status.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; ensure brides of vowels are less tense; UK/AU: non-rhotic or weak rhotics, vowel quality more open; /tj/ sequence often realized as a smoother glide in UK/AU. IPA references: US /məˈtʃʊr/, UK /məˈtjʊə/, AU /məˈtjʊə/.
"The evolved, mature system finally reached its peak performance after years of testing."
"She showed mature judgment in handling the complex negotiation."
"A mature audience is better suited for the film's themes and content."
"The mature theory replaced earlier models with a more robust, evidence-based framework."
Mature originates from the Latin maturus, meaning ripe, ready, or fully developed. The root matur- stems from the Proto-Italic term maturus, related to the notion of ripening or coming to fullness. In Latin, maturus described both physical ripeness and a figurative readiness, such as maturity of judgment. From Latin, the word passed into Old French as mature and later into English, retaining both senses: physical development (fruit, crops becoming ripe) and a figurative sense of readiness or completion. In Middle English and Early Modern English, mature was used both as an adjective and a noun in some contexts to denote a mature person or fruit at full ripeness. Over time, usage narrowed primarily to describing a grown, fully developed state in people, organisms, or systems, while retaining some figurative senses such as a mature approach or mature content. The noun sense of mature for a fully grown person is modern but aligned with the evolution of adulthood as a social category. First known uses appear in the 14th–15th centuries in Latin-derived forms, with English attestations following in the 15th–16th centuries as workshops, legal, and literary texts began to discuss maturity and adulthood more explicitly.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mature" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Mature" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Mature"
-ure sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as mə-TOO-ər or mə-CHOOR in many dialects, with primary stress on the second syllable: /məˈtʃʊər/ (US) or /məˈtjʊə/ (UK/AU). The /tʃ/ sound blends into a syllable that features a rounded, mid-central vowel in the first syllable. You’ll start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a stressed diphthongal onset leading to the second syllable; finish with a light rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. Practice by isolating /m/ + /ə/ + /ˈtʃʊə/ or /ˈtjʊə/ and then connect to adjacent words.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress (stressing the first syllable), pronouncing /tʃ/ too softly, or skipping the final -re/er sound. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: ma-TURE; ensure the /tʃ/ is a clear, voiceless palato-alveolar affricate, not /t/ or /ʃ/. End with a clear /ər/ (US) or /ə/ or /ə/ in non-rhotic contexts; keep the final sound light and non-emphasized.
In US English, mature often sounds as /məˈtʃʊr/ with rhotic /r/ in American speech; UK and AU may render it /məˈtjʊə/ or /məˈtjʊər/ with non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech, and a longer /j/ transition in some varieties. Australians may show a closer /tjʊə/ sequence and a more centralized vowel in the first syllable. All share stress on the second syllable, but vowel quality and rhotics vary.
The difficulty lies in the /tʃ/ cluster followed by a vowel shift in the second syllable and the distinction between a rhotic and non-rhotic ending. The first syllable uses a reduced vowel (schwa) which can blur next to the /ˈtʃʊə/ or /ˈtjʊə/ combination; the final -re/er often becomes a soft, unstressed vowel. Mastery requires precise articulation of the affricate /tʃ/ and careful vowel length in the second syllable.
A unique feature is the interaction between the schwa in the first syllable and the tense /tʃ/ onset of the second syllable, which creates a light palatal closure. This makes the transition from /mə/ to /ˈtʃʊə/ sensitive to adjacent consonants and word boundaries. You’ll often hear a subtle diphthongization in the second syllable and a potential vowel lengthening before a consonant in careful speech.
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