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.
The government will "impose some form of age or functionality restrictions" on social media for under-16s even if it stops short of an outright ban, Education Minister Olivia Bailey has said.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Not every death, of course, is a function of age.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
“It’s the markers of age that make something very organic, analog, real and personal,” Schwartz explains about his adoration for VHS.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
“Those three years in the Peninsular War were a coming of age for William Miller,” Mr. Hemming writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
His eyes were clear and bright, like Ultima’s, and there were lines of age already showing.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
