1 a : the amount of time during which a person or animal has lived [count] ▪ What is your age? [=how old are you?] ▪ The age of the student was 20. = The student's age was 20. ▪ Some people are reluctant to reveal their ages. ▪ She died tragically at a young age. ▪ Exercise is good for a man (of) your age. ▪ The treatment depends on the sex and age of the patient. ▪ He joined the company at the age of 35. [=when he was 35 years old] ▪ She died at the ripe old age of 90. ▪ You're too old to behave so foolishly. You should know better at your age. [=a person as old as you are should know better] ▪ You should learn to act your age. [=to act in a way that is appropriate for a person of your age] ▪ She showed remarkable musical talent at/from an early age. [=she showed talent when she was young] ▪ The movie appeals to people of all ages. ▪ The book is popular among men/women of a certain age. [=men/women who are not young anymore] ▪ Her age is catching up to her. = She is starting to feel her age. [=she is starting to feel old] ▪ He left home at the tender age of 18. [=when he was only 18 years old] ▪ He learned to paint in his old age. [=when he was old] ▪ Our son is small for his age. [=he's smaller than most children are at his age] [noncount] ▪ Their son needs to spend more time with children his own age. ▪ a group of children ranging in age from 8 to 11 ▪ When you're my age [=when you're as old as I am] you'll realize that life isn't always fair. ▪ She became involved with a man twice her age. ▪ More people now live to extreme old age. [=live to be extremely old] ▪ The program is for people over/under age 50. ▪ groups of people classified by race and age ▪ The student was 20 years of age. [=was 20 years old] ▪ He joined the company at age 35. —often used before another noun ▪ The movie appeals to people of all age groups. ▪ He was over the age limit. [=he was too old] —see also middle age, old age, school age b : the amount of time during which a thing has existed [count] ▪ What is the age of your car? ▪ The car is in good condition for its age. [=considering how old it is] [noncount] ▪ The magazines were sorted by age.
2 : the time of life when a person does something or becomes legally able to do something [count] ▪ The voting age is 18. [=people are allowed to vote when they are 18 years old] ▪ He was past the age for military service. [noncount] ▪ Her parents are approaching retirement age. ▪ young people who have not yet reached drinking age ▪ students of college age = college-age students —see also age of consent
3 [noncount] a : the passage of time : the process of becoming old or older ▪ a tree weakened by age ▪ His skills haven't diminished with age. ▪ a wine that has improved with age ▪ “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.” —Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra (1607) b : the condition of being old ▪ from youth to (old) age ▪ The building is showing signs of age. ▪ She died of old age.
4 [count] : a period of history —usually singular ▪ an airplane that became a symbol of the modern age ▪ a bygone/past age ▪ the great problems of our age ▪ It's hard to believe that such behavior is still tolerated in this day and age. [=in current times; now] : a period of time that is associated with a particular thing or person ▪ People expect information instantly in this age of the Internet. ▪ the age of Columbus ▪ the machine age ▪ the Age of Discovery —see also bronze age, dark ages, golden age, ice age, iron age, new age, stone age gilded age at gild
5 [count] informal : a long period of time ▪ It's been an age since we last saw them. —usually plural ▪ It's been ages since we last saw them. = We haven't seen them in/for ages. = It was ages ago when we last saw them.