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

1. having attained a specific age; (`aged' is pronounced as one syllable)
   • aged ten
   • ten years of age