mental age

American  

noun

Psychology.

1. the level of native mental ability or capacity of an individual, usually as determined by an intelligence test, in relation to the chronological age of the average individual at this level.

   a ten-year-old child with the mental age of a twelve-year-old; a mental age of twelve.

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mental age British  

noun

1. psychol the mental ability of a child, expressed in years and based on a comparison of his test performance with the performance of children with a range of chronological ages See also intelligence quotient

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Etymology

Origin of mental age

First recorded in 1910–15

Compare meaning

How does mental-age compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mental age vs. chronological age

Example Sentences

He wanted to know exactly what had happened, but could not ask Aaron, who is non-verbal and whom he describes as having the mental age of a two-year-old.

From BBC

It’s not cute watching and adult man regress to the mental age of a three-year-old.

From Salon

Sheila's last recorded child assessment the following April judged her to be functioning at the mental age of a child of 18 months.

From BBC

He has the mental age of a baby of around six months old.

From BBC

His lawyer, M. Ravi, said Nagaenthran, now 33, “could possibly have a mental age below 18” and that the disability doesn’t allow him to understand or appreciate deterrence.

From Seattle Times