madurar

Madurar is a Spanish verb meaning to become mature or to ripen. It can refer to the natural ripening of fruits and foods, the development of a person or an idea, or the point at which a financial instrument or debt reaches its due date and becomes payable.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin maturare, related to maturus, which gives the English cognate mature. The sense extensions cover biological ripening, psychological or social development, and financial maturation.

Usage: In biology, el plátano madura as it ages. In personal development, las personas maduran con la experiencia y el tiempo. In finance, una deuda o un bono madura en la fecha de vencimiento, meaning the amount becomes due. The expression madurar una idea describes refining or fully developing an idea or plan. The related adjective maduro denotes something or someone that has reached full development or ripeness, and maduración is the noun for the process.

Grammar and related terms: Madurar is a regular -ar verb. In the present indicative it conjugates as yo maduro, tú maduras, él madura, nosotros maduramos, vosotros maduráis, ellos maduran. It can be used intransitively (la fruta madura) or transitively with a direct object in certain senses (madurar una idea, madurar una deuda). See also maduro and maduración for related forms.