age of consent
Americannoun
noun
-
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
This was the year Japan passed landmark laws to redefine rape from "forcible sexual intercourse" to "non-consensual sexual intercourse" and raised the age of consent from 13 to 16.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2025
States like California and Colorado have recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
For gay and bisexual men, the age of consent was reduced from 18 to 16 in a law change in 2000, after a long campaign for equality.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2023
It is a social instinct to conform to the custom of one's fellows, and the children have reached "the age of consent" in matters of fashion.
From Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife by Marion Mills Miller
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.
