7 → see also aged , ageing , coming of age , dark age , golden age , Ice Age , Iron Age , middle age , Stone Age
8 PHRASE If someone tells you to act your age , they are telling you to behave in a way that is suitable for someone your age, because they think you are behaving in a childish way. [DISAPPROVAL ]
9
PHRASE
If something
comes of age
, it reaches an important stage of development and is accepted by a large number of people. □
10
PHRASE
When someone
comes of age
, they become legally an adult. □
11
PHRASE
Someone who is
under age
is not legally old enough to do something, for example to buy an alcoholic drink. □
time:
era:
period:
epoch:
a
ge-appro
priate
ADJ
Something that is
age-appropriate
is suitable for the age that a person is. □
aged
◆◇◇
Pronounced /e
I
dʒd/ for meaning 1
, and /e
I
dʒ
I
d/ for meanings 2
and 3
.
1
ADJ
You use
aged
followed by a number to say how old someone is. □
2
ADJ
[ADJ
n]
Aged
means very old. □
3
N‑PLURAL
You can refer to all people who are very old as
the aged
. [OLD-FASHIONED
] □
4 → see also middle-aged
a
ge group
(age groups
) N‑COUNT
An
age group
is the people in a place or organization who were born during a particular period of time, for example all the people aged between 18 and 25. □
age|ing /e I dʒ I ŋ/ also aging
1
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n] Someone or something that is
ageing
is becoming older and less healthy or efficient. □
2 N‑UNCOUNT Ageing is the process of becoming old or becoming worn out.
age|ism /e I dʒ I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Ageism is unacceptable behaviour that occurs as a result of the belief that older people are of less value than younger people. [DISAPPROVAL ]
age|ist
/e
I
dʒ
I
st/ ADJ
Ageist
behaviour is unacceptable behaviour based on the belief that older people are of less value than younger people. [DISAPPROVAL
] □
age|less /e I dʒləs/
1
ADJ
If you describe someone as
ageless
, you mean that they never seem to look any older. [LITERARY
] □
2
ADJ
If you describe something as
ageless
, you mean that it is impossible to tell how old it is, or that it seems to have existed for ever. [LITERARY
] □
a
ge lim|it
(age limits
) N‑COUNT
An
age limit
is the oldest or youngest age at which you are allowed under particular regulations to do something. □
agen|cy ◆◆◇ /e I dʒənsi/ (agencies )
1
N‑COUNT
An
agency
is a business which provides a service on behalf of other businesses. [BUSINESS
] □
2 → see also advertising agency , employment agency , press agency , travel agency
3
N‑COUNT
An
agency
is a government organization responsible for a certain area of administration. □
1