"MA" means: MA is the US television content rating for Mature Audiences — the highest tier in the TV ratings system, meaning the content is intended onl.... The term has a sexual reference, so parents may want to know the context in which a child uses or hears it. In most cases it is part of normal teenage curiosity rather than a concrete worry. A short, non-judgemental conversation about consent, respect and online safety is usually the best response. Look at the wider pattern of behaviour, not the one word.
MA
MA is the US television content rating for Mature Audiences — the highest tier in the TV ratings system, meaning the content is intended only for adults and may be unsuitable for viewers under 17.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1997 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
MA is the US television content rating for Mature Audiences — the highest tier in the TV ratings system, meaning the content is intended only for adults and may be unsuitable for viewers under 17. You'll see it in the corner of the screen before shows with strong language, graphic violence, or explicit sexual content. It's the TV equivalent of an R-rated film.
"MA" means: MA is the US television content rating for Mature Audiences — the highest tier in the TV ratings system, meaning the content is intended onl.... The term has a sexual reference, so parents may want to know the context in which a child uses or hears it. In most cases it is part of normal teenage curiosity rather than a concrete worry. A short, non-judgemental conversation about consent, respect and online safety is usually the best response. Look at the wider pattern of behaviour, not the one word.
"MA" means: MA is the US television content rating for Mature Audiences — the highest tier in the TV ratings system, meaning the content is intended onl.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in
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(US, TV) , a television rating.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Semantically related
- R-rated63%
(US, film) Of a motion picture, having an "R rating" from the Motion Picture Association (MPA), meaning it is suitable only for adults.
- R-rated58%
(film) Of a motion picture, having an "R rating" from one more motion picture rating authorities, typically meaning it is suitable only for adults.
- R-rated58%
(by extension) Not suitable for children, especially due to involving excessive sexual, violent, or rude content.
- hard R56%
(US, film) A movie that is intentionally produced to be R-rated ("Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian") by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), typically due to its multiple scenes of violence or nudity.