# age

/ˈeɪdʒ/ (US) · /ˈeɪdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/age
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. years lived

noun · CEFR A1

the number of years that someone has lived or something has existed.

For teachers: the length of time during which a person or thing has existed, typically measured in years.

- She started learning to play the piano at the age of five.
- The study tracked participants from various backgrounds, all of whom were over eighteen years of age at the time of enrollment.

### 2. historical period

noun · CEFR B1

a particular period of history.

For teachers: a distinct period of history characterized by a particular feature, person, or set of events.

- We are currently living in the digital age where everything is connected.
- Historians often debate the precise events that signaled the end of the Bronze Age and the transition to the Iron Age.

### 3. being old

noun · CEFR B1

the state of being old, or the later part of a person's life.

For teachers: the state of being old; the final stage of the human life cycle.

- His grandmother is still very active despite her great age.
- The philosopher argued that wisdom is not a guaranteed byproduct of age, but rather the result of lifelong reflection.

### 4. a long time

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a very long period of time.

For teachers: an indefinitely long period of time; often used in the plural for emphasis.

- I haven't seen my cousins in ages because they live abroad.
- It felt like an age before the waiter finally returned to our table with the bill.

### 5. legal maturity

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the time when you are legally old enough to do something, like vote.

For teachers: the stage of life at which a person becomes legally responsible for their actions or gains specific rights.

- In many countries, eighteen is the legal age for voting.
- The defendant had not yet come of age when the contract was signed, rendering the agreement legally void in this jurisdiction.

### 6. to get older

verb · CEFR B1

to grow older or to start looking older.

For teachers: to grow old or show the effects of increasing age; to undergo a process of maturation.

- The wine needs to age in the cellar for at least three years.
- The stress of the presidency appeared to age him significantly over the course of his first term.

### 7. to make look old

verb · CEFR B2

to make someone or something look older than they really are.

For teachers: to cause to appear old or to impart the characteristics of age to something.

- The makeup artists used special paint to age the actors for the final scene.
- The craftsman used a specific chemical treatment to age the new wood so it would match the original beams of the original floorboards.

## Examples

- He is the same age as me.
- The insurance premium increases with the age of the driver.
- Despite his chronological age, his mind remained as sharp and inquisitive as that of a man half his years.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.