age
1 of 3noun
ˈāj 
1
a
: the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises or rests
the voting age is 18
specifically : majority
b
: one of the stages of life
c
: the length of an existence extending from the beginning to any given time
a boy 10 years of age
d
: lifetime
e
: an advanced stage of life
2
: a period of time dominated by a central figure or prominent feature
the age of Pericles
: such as a
: a period in history or human progress
the age of reptiles
the age of exploration
b
: a cultural period marked by the prominence of a particular item
entering the atomic age
c
: a division of geologic time that is usually shorter than an epoch
3
a
: the period contemporary with a person's lifetime or with his or her active life
b
: a long time —usually used in plural
haven't seen him in ages
c
: generation
4
: an individual's development measured in terms of the years requisite for like development of an average individual
age
2 of 3verb
aged; aging or ageing
intransitive verb
1
: to become old : show the effects or the characteristics of increasing age
2
: to acquire a desirable quality (such as mellowness or ripeness) by standing undisturbed for some time
letting cheese age
transitive verb
1
: to cause to become old
2
: to bring to a state fit for use or to maturity
-age
3 of 3noun suffix
1
: aggregate : collection
trackage
2
a
: action : process
haulage
b
: cumulative result of
breakage
c
: rate of
dosage
3
: house or place of
orphanage
4
: state : rank
peonage
5
: charge
postage
Synonyms
Noun
- day
- epoch
- era
- period
- time
Verb
- develop
- grow
- grow up
- mature
- progress
- ripen
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Some people are reluctant to reveal their ages. She died tragically at a young age. The treatment depends on the sex and age of the patient. She died at the ripe old age of 90. The movie appeals to people of all ages. Their son needs to spend more time with children his own age. a group of children ranging in age from 8 to 11 She became involved with a man twice her age. The program is for people over age 50. groups of people classified by race and age Verb As he aged he grew more and more bitter. You haven't aged a day since I saw you last! His troubles have aged him. Exposure to the sun has aged her skin. The wine ages in oak barrels. The wine is aged in oak barrels. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022 This one includes the story of a shy little girl who became a queen, and a good one, who adorned her age. Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Staley, a married father of two, said his salary should have aligned with the fact that he was promoted to an important role overseeing a major territory, and his age and experience as compared to other vice presidents was not the issue. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2022 Carneal, who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder, attempted murder and burglary, was sentenced to life, but because of his age, he was entitled to be considered for parole after serving 25 years. Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 Kelly could be heard affirming her age in some of the clips. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2022 Hubble has consistently delivered great images, though, despite its age. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 14 Sep. 2022 Players who get into the MLS academy system, generally train and play against players their own age. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 Isolation and a lack of activities was no good for people their age. Julia O'malley, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2022 Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 The distillers use traditional practices and age the tequila in oak barrels. Robin Soslow, Chron, 22 Aug. 2022 Laughter and cheers echoed around the Winsor School’s turf field Friday as kids age 8-18 engaged in soccer drills at the Ucal Mckenzie Breakaway soccer camp. Khalin Kapoor, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2022 The role of Prince Charles will be taken over by Dominic West for The Crown's final two seasons, keeping with the show replacing their casts as the characters age. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 Bier has been advocating for young people who age out of their parents’ visas since Obama’s presidency. Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2022 Extreme Heat: With severe heat waves becoming more common, scientists are trying to understand how life on a hotter planet might kill, sicken and age us. New York Times, 14 June 2022 There were 68 teams and over 600 players in the recent season, featuring girls and boys age 6 and up through high school along with men 18 and up. Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 For the young princes—William, then age 15, and Harry, then age 12—their last interaction with their mother came in the form of a phone conversation—something that had become a nightly occurrence after Diana's split with Prince Charles. Town & Country, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
Her first prime minister, Winston Churchill, was more than three times her age. Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022 This one includes the story of a shy little girl who became a queen, and a good one, who adorned her age. Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Staley, a married father of two, said his salary should have aligned with the fact that he was promoted to an important role overseeing a major territory, and his age and experience as compared to other vice presidents was not the issue. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2022 Carneal, who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder, attempted murder and burglary, was sentenced to life, but because of his age, he was entitled to be considered for parole after serving 25 years. Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 Kelly could be heard affirming her age in some of the clips. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2022 Hubble has consistently delivered great images, though, despite its age. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 14 Sep. 2022 Players who get into the MLS academy system, generally train and play against players their own age. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 Isolation and a lack of activities was no good for people their age. Julia O'malley, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2022 Verb
To try to solve this, Dufek and his team used machine learning to figure out how batteries age when charging fast. Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 The distillers use traditional practices and age the tequila in oak barrels. Robin Soslow, Chron, 22 Aug. 2022 Laughter and cheers echoed around the Winsor School’s turf field Friday as kids age 8-18 engaged in soccer drills at the Ucal Mckenzie Breakaway soccer camp. Khalin Kapoor, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2022 The role of Prince Charles will be taken over by Dominic West for The Crown's final two seasons, keeping with the show replacing their casts as the characters age. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 Bier has been advocating for young people who age out of their parents’ visas since Obama’s presidency. Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2022 Extreme Heat: With severe heat waves becoming more common, scientists are trying to understand how life on a hotter planet might kill, sicken and age us. New York Times, 14 June 2022 There were 68 teams and over 600 players in the recent season, featuring girls and boys age 6 and up through high school along with men 18 and up. Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 For the young princes—William, then age 15, and Harry, then age 12—their last interaction with their mother came in the form of a phone conversation—something that had become a nightly occurrence after Diana's split with Prince Charles. Town & Country, 30 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French aage, age (earlier Old French edage, eage), from eé, aé "age, lifetime" (going back to Latin aetāt-, aetās, contraction of earlier aevitās, from aevum "time, lifetime" + -itāt-, -itās -ity) + -age -age — more at aye entry 3
Verb
Middle English agen, derivative of age age entry 1
Noun suffix
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin -āticum (as in viāticum "provision for a journey"), neuter of -āticus, adjective suffix of appurtenance, from -a- (probably generalized from verbal derivatives, as vēnāticus "used for hunting," from vēnārī "to hunt") + -ticus, borrowed from Greek -tikos, generalized from derivatives of agent nouns (as athlētikós athletic) from athlḗtēs athlete
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Phrases Containing age
Kids Definition
age 1 of 3
noun
ˈāj
1
: the amount of time during which someone or something has lived or existed
The child was six years of age.
2
: the time of life when a person receives some right or capacity
The voting age is 18.
3
: the later part of life
His mind was active in age as in youth.
4
: the condition of being old
The building is showing signs of age.
5
: a period of time associated with a person or thing
the age of dinosaurs
6
: a long period of time
It's been ages since we last saw you.
age
2 of 3verb
aged
ˈājd
; aging or ageing 1
: to become old or older
As he aged, he grew more forgetful.
2
: to cause to become old or to appear to be old
Her troubles have aged her.
3
: to remain or cause to remain undisturbed until fit for use : mature
The cheese must age.
-age
3 of 3noun suffix
ij
1
: total amount : collection
mileage
2
: action : process
coverage
3
: result of
coinage
4
: rate of
shrinkage
5
: house or place of
orphanage
6
: state : condition
blockage
7
: fee : charge
postage
Medical Definition
age 1 of 2
noun
ˈāj
1
a
: the part of life from birth to a given time
a child 10 years of age
b
: the time or part of life at which some particular event, qualification, or capacity arises, occurs, or is lost
of reproductive age
age of onset
see middle age c
: an advanced stage of life
2
: an individual's development measured in terms of the years requisite for like development of an average individual
a child of 7 with a mental age of 10
see binet age, mental age age
2 of 2verb
aged; aging or ageing
intransitive verb
: to become old : show the effects or the characteristics of increasing age
transitive verb
: to cause to become old
Legal Definition
age
noun
: the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises
the voting age is 18
see also legal age, majority age 1 of 2
noun
1
as in era
an extent of time associated with a particular person or thing the Bronze Age marks the beginning of the use of metal by ancient peoples Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- era
- day
- time
- period
- epoch
- year
- generation
- date
- while
- span
- cycle
- space
- vintage
- spell
- bit
- stretch
2
as in months
a long or seemingly long period of time it took ages for the clerk to ring up three items Synonyms & Similar Words
- months
- forever
- long
- eon
- aeon
- eternity
- coon's age
- blue moon
- lifetime
- donkey's years
- moon
- cycle
- infinity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- moment
- minute
- second
- instant
- twinkle
- twinkling
- wink
- shake
- flash
- jiffy
- split second
- trice
- nanosecond
- microsecond
3
as in twilight
a later period of one's life stoically endures all of the aches and pains that come with age Synonyms & Similar Words
- twilight
- afternoon
- autumn
- maturity
- evening
- adulthood
- winter
- senility
- dotage
- middle
- afterlife
- sunset
- midlife
- oldness
- seniority
- ripeness
- majority
- golden years
- anecdotage
- middle age
- elderliness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- youth
- adolescence
- springtime
4
as in maturity
the state of being an old person at 88, she gets frustrated by the feebleness that is inevitable with age Synonyms & Similar Words
- maturity
- agedness
- elderliness
- senility
- dotage
- senescence
- feebleness
- ancientness
- venerableness
- second childhood
- anecdotage
- senectitude
- infirmity
- caducity
- anility
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- youth
- youthfulness
- adolescence
- youngness
- freshness
- prime
- immaturity
- minority
- nonage
- juvenility
5
as in antiquity
the state of being something old the copper monument has acquired the patina of age Synonyms & Similar Words
- antiquity
- antiquation
- agedness
- hoariness
- obsolescence
- ancientness
- agelessness
- datedness
- obsoleteness
- old-fashionedness
- fustiness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- newness
- freshness
- modernity
- currency
- novelty
- recentness
- modernness
- currentness
age
2 of 2verb
as in to progress
to become mature as your cat ages and becomes less active, you should change her diet Synonyms & Similar Words
- progress
- grow
- mature
- develop
- grow up
- ripen
- flower
- mellow
- bloom
- evolve
- blossom
- gray
- flourish
- soften
- get along
- advance
- bourgeon
- get on
- open
- grey
- burgeon
- unfold
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- decay
- decline
- deteriorate
- degenerate
- worsen
- sink
- wither
- fade
- waste (away)
- dry
- sag
- shrivel
- revert
- wilt
- return
- wane
- lapse
- weaken
- regress
- flag
- droop
- retrogress
- backslide
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of age are epoch, era, and period. While all these words mean "a division of time," age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature.
the age of Samuel Johnson
The words epoch and age are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, epoch applies to a period begun or set off by some significant or striking quality, change, or series of events.
the steam engine marked a new epoch in industry
In some situations, the words era and age are roughly equivalent. However, era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things.
the era of global communications
While the synonyms period and age are close in meaning, period may designate an extent of time of any length.
periods of economic prosperity