aging

American  

[ey-jing] / ˈeɪ dʒɪŋ /

Or ageing

noun

1. the process of becoming old or older.

   The aging of the population has had an effect on state revenues.

2. the process of bringing a product, material, etc., to maturity or a state fit for use.

   the proper aging of cheese in controlled conditions of temperature and humidity.

3. the process of making something seem older than it is.

   The leather tabletop is a recent replacement with deliberate aging and antiquing.

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adjective

1. becoming old or older; showing signs of growing old.

   Many of us are caring for an aging parent in declining health.

2. giving the appearance of being old or older.

   They used aging makeup on some of the actors instead of recasting the roles.

Etymology

Origin of aging

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; age ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; age ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Explanation

Aging means growing older. You could say that your glamorous grandparents make aging look easy. The process of getting older, especially as people reach middle age and beyond, is called aging, and it's also an adjective that describes someone or something going through this process. Your aging French teacher might find it harder and harder to read her own writing on the chalkboard, and an aging motorcycle probably needs to be repaired more often. The verb age, or "grow older," is at the heart of aging, and its Latin root is aevum, "lifetime."

Example Sentences

The longer-term story is about overhauling an aging grid to absorb renewable-generation capacity that now provides nearly half of the European Union’s electricity, by official EU figures.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

At the same time, a lot of the region’s industrial infrastructure is aging, which also heightens the risk of leaks, cracks or failure.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

The Australian demographer John Charles Caldwell observed that fertility is high in agricultural societies because children generate economic value through their labor and later provide support for aging parents.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Now, experts say this aging infrastructure is converging with population growth and regulatory rollbacks that are increasing the likelihood that similar incidents will happen again.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

When she could see again, Tally found an aging ugly crouching next to her, against the wall.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld