middle age

American  

noun

1. the period of human life between youth and old age, sometimes considered as the years between 45 and 65 or thereabout.

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middle age British  

noun

1. the period of life between youth and old age, usually (in man) considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60

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Etymology

Origin of middle age

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

He notes that his grudge-holding is unbecoming of a man who’s pushing middle age before going on to attack his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

In Silber’s revival, the wise schoolmaster Mr. Lundie is Widow Lundie, and the town flirt Meg Brockie is a pub owner pushing middle age.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Now ages 45 to 61, members of the generation early on saw the dot-com bubble burst and then were hit by the 2007-09 recession as they approached middle age.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

For some people, it’s a modest home, with a mortgage that’s paid off in early middle age, and a job that brings them satisfaction.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

I remember one of them especially: a lean, aloof, superior man of middle age.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

Related Words

• midlife