age of consent
Americannoun
noun
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the age at which a person is considered legally competent to consent to sexual intercourse
-
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.
As the documentary points out, the age of consent in California is 18.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
He urges Sir Keir to "rather urgently" consider a smartphone ban in schools and a "digital age of consent", similar to Australia, which has passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2025
However, the gap between the age of criminal responsibility and the age of consent in England and Wales is the biggest of all countries, she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2023
Washington’s age of consent for gender-affirming surgery without approval from a parent or guardian is 18.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 21, 2023
A woman's club, the Arena, had been instrumental in obtaining the first "age of consent" legislation, but a Unitarian minister had entirely managed the Legislature.
From The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume VI by Ida Husted Harper
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.
