of age
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Having attained a specific age; legally recognized as an adult: This term describes someone who has reached a particular age, most commonly the age at which a person gains full legal rights and responsibilities. It is often used in formal or legal contexts.
Usage
The phrase "of age" is used after a linking verb like "be" or "come." It is typically preceded by a number or a descriptive term indicating the specific age. * It is commonly used in the fixed phrase "to be of age" or "to come of age," meaning to reach adulthood (usually 18 or 21 years old, depending on jurisdiction). * It can also follow a specific number to indicate a particular milestone.
Examples
- Adjective:
- In this country, you are of age at eighteen.
- She will come of age next month and can then vote.
- The program is for children ten years of age and older.
Advanced Usage
- "to come of age": This is an idiom meaning to reach the age of legal adulthood. It can also be used metaphorically to describe something reaching maturity or a significant stage of development.
- The novel is about a young man coming of age in post-war America.
- Digital cinema truly came of age in the last decade.
Variants and Related Words
- Aged (adjective, pronounced as one syllable /eɪdʒd/): Having reached a specific age. (Note: This is a synonym but is less common in everyday speech for this meaning. "Aged" more frequently means "old.")
- Children aged six to twelve are invited.
- Adult (noun/adjective): A person who is fully grown or mature, especially one who has reached the legal age of majority.
- Majority (noun): The age at which a person is legally considered an adult. Often used in the phrase "to reach the age of majority."
Synonyms
- Adult
- Grown-up
Related Phrases
- Under age: Not having reached the required or legal age.
- It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under age.
- Over the age of [number]: Older than a specified number.
- The discount applies to passengers over the age of 65.
Related Idioms
- To be of legal age: A more formal way to say "to be of age," emphasizing the legal aspect.
- You must be of legal age to enter into this contract.
Adjective
- having attained a specific age; (`aged' is pronounced as one syllable)
- aged ten
- ten years of age