Age (noun) is the number of years a person has lived or the length of time something has existed. As a verb, to age means to grow older or to develop over time — as in wood, cheese, or wine that matures with time.
What Does Age Mean?
Age comes from Old French aage, derived from Latin aetatem — meaning a period of life or lifetime. The Latin root aevum (an era) gives us related words such as medieval (from medium aevum, meaning middle age of history) and eternal. The word has been in English since the 13th century and is one of the most frequently used nouns in the language.
As a noun, age answers the question "how old?" — it can refer to a person's years of life (She is 25 years of age), a historical period (the Ice Age), or a long time in informal speech (I haven't seen him for ages). As a verb, it describes the process of growing or becoming older: Wood ages well or Stress can age a person rapidly.
Note the British English spelling ageing (present participle and adjective) versus American English aging. Both are widely understood, but on this site we follow British convention throughout.
Example Sentences (A2–C1)
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| She is 25 years of age. | A2 — fixed phrase "years of age" |
| Children of all ages are welcome at the event. | A2 — plural noun, general reference |
| Wood ages well if it is stored in a dry place. | B1 — verb, intransitive |
| The retirement age in the UK is currently 66 for both men and women. | B2 — colocation "retirement age", factual context |
| Prolonged exposure to stress has been shown to accelerate cellular ageing significantly. | C1 — gerund/noun form, academic register |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| old age | She remained active well into old age. |
| middle age | Many people reassess their priorities in middle age. |
| age group | This activity is suitable for the 8–12 age group. |
| age limit | The age limit for this competition is 18. |
| retirement age | The government raised the retirement age to 67. |
| age gap | There is a ten-year age gap between the siblings. |
| come of age | In the UK, you come of age at 18. |
| act your age | Stop being so silly — act your age! |
Usage Notes: Formal vs Informal
In formal or official writing, prefer years of age or aged: "Applicants must be aged 18 or over." "She died at the age of 94." These constructions appear in legal documents, official statistics, and academic writing.
In everyday conversation, people more often say how old: "How old is she?" rather than "What is her age?" The noun phrase ages is very common informally to mean a long time: "I've been waiting for ages!" or "That was ages ago."
The idiom come of age has both a literal meaning (reach legal adulthood) and a figurative one (reach full maturity or importance): "The UK's electric vehicle industry has really come of age." Use the figurative sense in essays and journalism for stylistic variety.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
She has 25 years. (direct translation from many European languages)
She is 25 years old. / She is 25 years of age. (English uses "to be", not "to have" for age)
He is aging very good.
He is ageing very well. (use "well" not "good" with adverbs; British spelling: ageing)