age of consent
Americannoun
noun
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the age at which a person is considered legally competent to consent to sexual intercourse
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the age at which a person can enter into a legally binding contract
Etymology
Origin of age of consent
First recorded in 1800–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
States like California and Colorado have recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024
Norman Woods of South Dakota Family Voice Action said it doesn’t make sense to raise the age for marriage if the age of consent in South Dakota remains at 16.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2024
During a highly charged parliamentary debate on Tuesday, MP Lucy Akello questioned whether the age of consent was being lowered from the current 18 years to 15 years, the state-owned New Vision newspaper reported.
From BBC • Oct. 11, 2023
The legal age of consent in the UK is 16.
From BBC • Sep. 27, 2023
The time of life at which some particular power or capacity is understood to become vested; as, the age of consent; the age of discretion.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah
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.
