the length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to.
trees of unknown age; His age is 20 years.
a period of human life, measured by years from birth, usually marked by a certain stage or degree of mental or physical development and involving legal responsibility and capacity.
the age of discretion; the age of consent; The state raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 years.
the particular period of life at which a person becomes naturally or conventionally qualified or disqualified for anything.
He was over age for military duty.
one of the periods or stages of human life.
a person of middle age.
advanced years; old age.
His eyes were dim with age.
a particular period of history, as distinguished from others; a historical epoch.
the age of Pericles; the Stone Age; the age of electronic communications.
the period of history contemporary with the span of an individual's life.
He was the most famous architect of the age.
a generation or a series of generations.
ages yet unborn.
a great length of time.
I haven't seen you for an age. He's been gone for ages.
the average life expectancy of an individual or of the individuals of a class or species.
The age of a horse is from 25 to 30 years.
Psychology. the level of mental, emotional, or educational development of a person, especially a child, as determined by various tests and based on a comparison of the individual's score with the average score for persons of the same chronological age.
Geology.
a period of the history of the earth distinguished by some special feature.
the Ice Age.
a unit of geological time, shorter than an epoch, during which the rocks comprising a stage were formed.
any of the successive periods in human history divided, according to Hesiod, into the golden, silver, bronze, heroic, and iron ages.
Cards.
Poker. the first player at the dealer's left.
to make old; cause to grow or seem old.
Fear aged him overnight.
to bring to maturity or a state fit for use.
to age wine.
to store (a permanent magnet, a capacitor, or other similar device) so that its electrical or magnetic characteristics become constant.
to expose (a dye or dyed cloth) to steam or humid air in order to fix the dye.
to stabilize the electrical properties of (a device) by passing current through it.
the period of time that a person, animal, or plant has lived or is expected to live
the age of a tree
what age was he when he died?
the age of a horse is up to thirty years
the period of existence of an object, material, group, etc
the age of this table is 200 years
a period or state of human life
he should know better at his age
she had got beyond the giggly age
( as modifier )
age group
the latter part of life
a period of history marked by some feature or characteristic; era
( capital when part of a name )
the Middle Ages
the Space Age
generation
the Edwardian age
geology palaeontol
a period of the earth's history distinguished by special characteristics
the age of reptiles
the period during which a stage of rock strata is formed; a subdivision of an epoch
myth any of the successive periods in the legendary history of man, which were, according to Hesiod, the golden, silver, bronze, heroic, and iron ages
informal (often plural) a relatively long time
she was an age washing her hair
I've been waiting ages
psychol the level in years that a person has reached in any area of development, such as mental or emotional, compared with the normal level for his chronological age See also achievement age mental age
(often said humorously when yielding precedence) older people take precedence over younger people
adult and legally responsible for one's actions (usually at 18 or, formerly, 21 years)
to grow or make old or apparently old; become or cause to become old or aged
to begin to seem older
to have aged a lot in the past year
brewing to mature or cause to mature
indicating a collection, set, or group
acreage
baggage
indicating a process or action or the result of an action
haulage
passage
breakage
indicating a state, condition, or relationship
bondage
parentage
indicating a house or place
orphanage
indicating a charge or fee
postage
indicating a rate
dosage
mileage
Age, epoch, era, period all refer to an extent of time. Age usually implies a considerable extent of time, especially one associated with a dominant personality, influence, characteristic, or institution: the age of chivalry. Epoch and era are often used interchangeably to refer to an extent of time characterized by changed conditions and new undertakings: an era ( or epoch ) of invention. epoch sometimes refers especially to the beginning of an era: the steam engine—an epoch in technology. A period may be long or short, but usually has a marked condition or feature: the glacial period; a period of expansion.
First recorded in 1225–75; (for the noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French aage, eage, equivalent to aé, eé (from Latin ae(vi)tās “age, lifetime,” from aev(um) “eternity, period, time” + -itās -ity ) + -age -age; verb derivative of the noun
Middle English < Old French < Latin -āticum, neuter of -āticus adj. suffix; an extension of Latin -āta -ate 1, whose range of senses it reflects closely
Your age is the number of years you've been alive. If your cat is six, you can say that he's "six years of age." You can also talk about a stage of life or an era in history as an age: "School age kids need to get outside and play every day." Often when someone mentions age as a concept or idea, they mean old age, or being elderly. And the verb age means "grow older." The word comes from the Old French aage, "age or lifetime," from the Latin root aevum, "lifetime, eternity, or age."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Additionally, she suffered injuries from a car crash at age 14, prompting her parents to spend their life savings on plastic surgery as part of her recovery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
When news of Sam Neill’s death at the age of 78 broke earlier this week, much of the public sentiment for the late New Zealand actor revolved around his humor and charm.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
However, UK health experts have now called for all teenagers from the age of 15 to be given the free MenB vaccine during this one-off campaign.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
But suggested changes to the program often include increases in the retirement age, again necessitating longer, not shorter, careers to maintain one’s benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
She was Tansy’s age, but didn’t go to high school.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
NOTE.—The suffix -age is found only in French-Latin derivatives.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
Examples of words formed in imitation of these in English itself are blockade, orangeade. -age, ending of abstract nouns, as homage; marks place where, as vicarage;—of English formation, bondage, brewage, parsonage.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
This suffix is the equivalent of the French -age, and is a suffix of frequent occurrence in forming new words.
From Frédéric Mistral Poet and Leader in Provence by Downer, Charles Alfred
Another large group of hovering accents is that formed by French words with such terminations as -our, -ance, -ace, -age, -ant, -ess.
From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Alden, Raymond MacDonald
We incline to think rather that it corresponds to -age, being added chiefly to words in e. -age fits rather upon stems in a. gounfle, swollen. gounflige, swelling.
From Frédéric Mistral Poet and Leader in Provence by Downer, Charles Alfred
Other companies have opted to release less-niche products that can still be marketed toward GLP-1 patients, such as SkinCeuticals’ new A.G.E.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2025
In a 1998 federal indictment, U.S. prosecutors in Reno identified him as the former president of a company, A.G.E.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
In the Mexican sunshine, this was a crowning performance for the ages as Mario Zagallo's outfit dismantled an Azzurri side packed with their own stars in Gigi Riva, Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The civil protection department has not specified the ages of those killed or the 19 injured, but in a social media post Algeria's President Abdelmajid Tebboune said children were among the dead.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Researchers describe three phases: the “go-go” years when you’re active and traveling, the “slow-go” years roughly from ages 70 to 84, and the “no-go” years shaped by health and end-of-life care.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
Everyone grows older, but the rate at which the body ages can vary from person to person.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Macy smiled for the first time in ages.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
A House of Lords briefing has estimated, external that by July 2029, 301 life peers would be aged over 80.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Hegseth said on Wednesday that servicemembers aged 30 and older would be tested every year during their annual health assessments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
An estimated 7.4 million people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Despite persistent questions about his health as the oldest-ever US president, Biden, then aged 81, decided to run for a second term in 2024.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
It seemed like she had aged in four days as many years as there were between me and my dead aunts and grandmothers.
From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat
Although more common after 65, the condition is not an inevitable part of ageing, the WHO insisted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Many of Japan’s economic problems result from its demographic challenge: an ageing and shrinking population that has created labor shortages.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
The population of the 27-nation European Union will peak in 2029 before falling in the coming decades, according to a report published Tuesday that puts a spotlight on the major challenges of an ageing citizenry.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Roch Cheroux said ageing infrastructure and years of under-investment mean the company cannot improve performance without significant new spending that's funded by customers.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
They were both old and round, and they lived in their flat with a number of ageing Highland terriers who had names like Hamish and Andrew and Jock.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
Utilities have been struggling to keep the system going, given funds are limited for any kind of major overhaul of the aging pipes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Europe is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, given that its housing stock is built to retain warmth, it has dense cities, and its population is aging rapidly, according to German insurer Allianz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
McConnell’s mysterious hospital stay and Kean’s months-long absence raise a blunt question: what do voters deserve to know about the health and aging of our lawmakers?
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
What trends are fueling this demographic shift, and where can investors tap into the long-term growth potential of an aging world?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
If I’m awake the whole time, does that mean my body keeps aging?
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
