underage
Học thuậtThân thiện
A young person is not allowed to purchase lottery tickets because they are underage.
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not of legal age; below the age required by law for a particular activity or right: Describes a person who has not yet reached the age specified by law, typically for activities like voting, drinking alcohol, signing contracts, or consenting.
- Dependent by virtue of youth: Emphasizes the legal and social dependency status resulting from being a minor.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The club was fined for serving alcohol to underage patrons.
- She couldn't vote in the election because she was still underage.
- Underage workers are protected by specific labor laws.
Advanced Usage
- Legal Context: The term is almost exclusively used in legal, formal, or official contexts to denote a lack of legal capacity or permission due to age.
- The contract was voidable because it was signed by an underage individual.
- As a Predicate Adjective: Commonly follows linking verbs like "be," "consider," or "deem."
- He is considered underage for military service in his country.
Variants and Related Words
- Minor (n./adj.): A near-synonym often used interchangeably in legal contexts. A is an underage person.
- Under-aged (adj.): A less common variant spelling with the same meaning.
Synonyms
- Minor
- Juvenile (often in legal contexts)
- Below the age of consent/majority
Antonyms
- Of age
- Adult
- Legal-age
Related Phrases
- Underage drinking: The consumption of alcohol by individuals below the legal drinking age.
- The campus has strict policies to prevent underage drinking.
- Underage marriage: Marriage where one or both parties are below the legal age for marriage without special consent.
- Laws against underage marriage aim to protect children's rights.
A young person is not allowed to purchase lottery tickets because they are underage.
Adjective
- dependent by virtue of youth
- not of legal age
- minor children