underage

¹ American  

[uhn-der-eyj] / ˌʌn dərˈeɪdʒ /

adjective

1. lacking the required age, especially that of legal maturity.

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underage ² American  

[uhn-der-ij] / ˈʌn dər ɪdʒ /

noun

1. shortage; deficiency in amount.

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underage British  

/ ˌʌndərˈeɪdʒ /

adjective

1. below the required or standard age, esp below the legal age for voting or drinking

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Etymology

Origin of underage¹

First recorded in 1585–95; under- + age

Origin of underage²

First recorded in 1605–15; under- + -age

Example Sentences

The lawsuit accused Snap of consistently turning a “blind eye” to underage users of its app.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

Instead, Meta and its competitors fight to attract and retain underage users so they will spend money years down the road.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

McNamara, who used to coach at Leinster and with Ireland's underage set-up, said his former side have shown "remarkable consistency to keep coming back".

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Since 2020, the FDA had restricted sales to tobacco-flavored and menthol-flavored vapes amid concerns that fruity flavors appeal to underage users.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

“He thought it was his fault, didn’t he, Shady? Because he helped Ned raise the twenty-five dollars to join the army underage and then Ned was killed. Because he thought he was a jinx.”

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Related Words

• adolescent