Word
eighteen
Phoneticseigh·teen
US/ˈeɪˈtin/
UK/eɪtˈiːn/
Definitions
01the number 18
num. the number 18.
num. the cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen.
“There are eighteen students in my English class this morning.”
“The research team interviewed eighteen participants over the course of the weekend to ensure a diverse range of perspectives.”
02the age of adulthood
n. the age when a person is legally considered an adult in many countries.
n. the age of legal majority in many jurisdictions, often associated with the right to vote or purchase alcohol.
“You can apply for a driving license once you turn eighteen.”
“Upon reaching the age of eighteen, citizens are granted full legal responsibilities and the right to participate in national elections.”
Etymology
From Middle English eightetene, eiȝtene, ehtetene, from Old English eahtatīene, eahtatēne, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōutehun. Cognate with West Frisian achttjin, Dutch achttien, German achtzehn, Danish atten. Equivalent to eight + -teen
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.