- present participle of age.
aging
Americannoun
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the process of becoming old or older.
The aging of the population has had an effect on state revenues.
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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.
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the process of making something seem older than it is.
The leather tabletop is a recent replacement with deliberate aging and antiquing.
adjective
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becoming old or older; showing signs of growing old.
Many of us are caring for an aging parent in declining health.
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While aging in place remains the favored option, longer lifespans are leading more older adults to consider relocating somewhere that best supports their retirement vision.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Cowin addresses us directly, sharing her anxieties about aging, particularly the varieties of physical decline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
"Everyone is excited by these aging clocks and their ability to predict disease and mortality risk," Wen says.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
This keeps an aging workforce mobile, slashes employer spend and unlocks abundance through the convergence of health and wealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
She could even hear, with her new awareness of the house, the dust drifting gently in the attics, the wood aging.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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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.