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Synonyms

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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of middle age

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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.

Middle age enrichment included income level at age 40, access to resources such as magazine subscriptions, dictionaries, and library cards, and how often participants visited places like museums or libraries.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Middle age is uncomfortably crammed with career and caregiving responsibilities, while many older people find themselves with neither enough purpose, connection or income to live comfortably.

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2021

Betty Friedan started a revolution — and we’re still not there yet Topics: , , , , , , Wives, Mothers, daughters, Editor's Pick, Middle age is not generous to females.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2013

Middle age suits Curtis Stigers better than his long-haired youth.

From The Guardian • Aug. 1, 2010

Middle age will be very nice and comfortable and entertaining, once one's fairly in it....

From Dangerous Ages by Macaulay, Rose, Dame

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.