Definition

1. Noun:
   • The period of human life between young adulthood and old age: A general life stage, often considered to span from approximately 40 to 60 or 65 years of age, characterized by specific social, psychological, and physical developments.

Usage

• Middle age is used as a non-countable noun to refer to the life stage itself.
• It is commonly used with prepositions like , , or .
• It often carries connotations of stability, reflection, and physical transition.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She is enjoying a successful career in middle age.
  • The study focused on health challenges during middle age.
  • He reached the middle age of his life with a sense of accomplishment.

Advanced Usage

• "middle-age spread": A colloquial term referring to the tendency to gain weight, especially around the midsection, during middle age.
  • He started cycling to combat the middle-age spread.

Variants and Related Words

• Middle-aged (adj): Describing a person who is in the period of middle age.
  • The program is designed for middle-aged adults.

Synonyms

• Midlife: Often used interchangeably with "middle age," sometimes emphasizing a psychological or crisis aspect (e.g., ).
• The prime of life: A more positive phrase suggesting the peak of one's capabilities, which can overlap with early middle age.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you.": A humorous saying highlighting a shift in social energy.
• "To hit/strike middle age": To reach or enter this stage of life.
  • He hit middle age and decided to run a marathon.

Noun

1. the time of life between youth and old age (e.g., between 40 and 60 years of age)