of age
Idioms-
Old enough, according to the law, to be eligible for something, as in In this state he's not of age for buying liquor, but he may vote , or Next year Jane's coming of age and will get her driver's license . This usage was first recorded about 1430. The term under age signifies being too young to be eligible, as in It's against the law to serve alcohol to anyone under age .
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come of age . Mature or develop fully, as in The school's bilingual program has finally come of age .
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.
“States now have a negotiated menu of age assurance, time limits, nighttime restrictions, parental controls, auditing, and monetary relief that they can put on the table,” Engstrom told me.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Anger over the impact of Instagram and Facebook -- as well as rival apps like Snapchat and TikTok -- has driven the spread of age limits and school phone bans around the world.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
But that does not change the fact that a vulnerable person, particularly someone who is 99 years of age, should be free to make their own choice, free from influence.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Martin described Gen Z as one of the first generations in recent memory to come of age facing markedly tighter economic circumstances.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Every old painting has countless cracks, the marks of age.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
