middle-aged

American

[mid-l-eyjd] / ˈmɪd lˈeɪdʒd /

adjective

being of the age intermediate between youth and old age, roughly between 45 and 65.
characteristic of or suitable for persons of this age.

middle-aged British

adjective

of, relating to, or being in the time in a person's life between youth and old age

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of middle-aged

First recorded in 1600–10

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.

Every morning I tell myself that I am not a middle-aged man as I do a comb-over to conceal my scalp.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

Because bulldogs are only supposed to live until 8 or 10, he is kind of middle-aged.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Studies show that doses as low as 40mg-60mg may improve mood and alertness in middle-aged adults who normally consume little or no caffeine.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

There he meets with his chosen mark: Perla Hildegarda Inclán Arnao, a middle-aged spinster from a fallen family of coffee barons whose reserved nature doesn’t jibe with her passionate letters.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

While five-year-old Joseph carefully inscribed his name on a line, a middle-aged man in a worn overcoat and swathed in a bright red scarf approached them.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023