to come of age
idiom

- to reach the age when you are legally recognized as an adult

- to become fully established (of a movement or activity)

The Cambridge Dictionary / Oxford Languages

—
PHRASE ORIGIN

The phrase "to come of age" dates back to the late 16th century. It is used to describe the transition from childhood to adulthood, the moment when a person is recognized by society as being mature enough to take on adult responsibilities.

This phrase is used in both American and British English and may refer to different ages depending on the legal age of majority in a particular country or cultural context. In many western societies, this is typically 18 or 21 years old.

—
BAR MITZVAH & BAT MITZVAH

In Jewish tradition, a boy becomes a bar mitzvah ("son of the commandment") at the age of 13 and a girl becomes a bat mitzvah ("daughter of the commandment") at the age of 12. This is when they are considered to have "come of age" and are responsible for their actions. The occasion is often marked with a religious ceremony and celebration.

The ceremonies typically involve the young person reading from the Torah in front of the congregation, symbolizing their new status and responsibilities. This is often followed by a celebration with friends and family.

—
SYNONYMS

achieve majority, advance, age, arrive at manhood/womanhood, become an adult (of age), blossom, bloom, COME OF AGE, flower, gain maturity, grow (to maturity), grow up, mature, progress, reach majority (adulthood, one's majority, the age of majority), ripen, spread one’s wings, step into adulthood, turn 18 (21), turn of age

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Regarding COMING OF AGE, I like Virginia Woolf’s observation: "Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others’.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations.

Every month, I spend evening and weekend hours with my family researching and writing your daily OWAD. It remains FREE, AD-free, and ALIVE thanks to voluntary donations from appreciative readers.

If you aren’t already, please also consider supporting us - even the equivalent of a single cup of coffee a month will help us cover mailing, site hosting, and maintenance costs. Just head over to DonorBox:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-5-3

or bank transfer to Paul Smith
IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40
Please use your email-address as ‘Verwendungszweck’

Thank you,
Paul