maturare

Maturare is an Italian verb meaning to become mature or ripe, and by extension to reach a state of completion or readiness. It can refer to living beings reaching adulthood, to fruits, cheeses, wines, or other products as they develop and improve with time, and to ideas or plans that gradually take shape.

In addition to its agricultural or developmental senses, maturare is widely used in finance and economics. It can indicate that a financial obligation has become due or that interest and other accruals have accumulated. For example, a bond or loan matures at its specified date, and interest may maturare over a period. The related noun maturazione denotes the process of maturation or aging.

Grammatical notes: maturare is a regular -are verb. In present tense: io maturo, tu maturi, lui/lei matura, noi maturiamo, voi maturate, loro maturano. The perfect tense is formed with avere: ho maturato, hai maturato, ha maturato, etc. The participle is maturato, and the gerund is maturando.

Usage tips: the sense is often clear from context. With tangible objects, maturare almost always means ripening or aging (the wine matures, the fruit matures). With abstract objects or plans, it conveys the idea of development or nearing readiness (un progetto che matura, una decisione che matura). In financial language, consider maturare in the sense of becoming due or accruing value.

See also: maturazione.