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

See Examples For:

middle age

Taylor also works with many women in middle age who, like herself, took time off to have kids, or who never worked.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

For many Americans, middle age is becoming more challenging than it was for previous generations.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026

When hearing loss in middle age drove him to rely on hearing aids, he credited the affliction with sharpening his awareness of the world around him—and enhancing his art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

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

At this very moment, no doubt, she is pondering with regret decisions made in the far-off past that have now left her, deep in middle age, so alone and desolate.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• midlife