legal age

noun

: the age at which a person enters into full adult legal rights and responsibilities (as of making contracts or wills)

Examples of legal age in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Anyone who meets the legal age requirement and purchases a ticket from an authorized retailer in a participating jurisdiction can play, regardless of nationality. Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 There has always been an element of denial in the focus on Instagram’s relationship with minors, when so many of the rest of us, of legal age, also scroll obsessively at weird hours. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Is there a legal age requirement for children to walk to and from school alone in California? Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The legal age of consent in California is 18, meaning the act could be classified as statutory rape. Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for legal age

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legal age was in 1658

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Cite this Entry

“Legal age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legal%20age. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Medical Definition

: the age at which a person enters into full adult legal rights and responsibilities (as of making contracts or wills)

Legal Definition

legal age

noun
: an age at which a person becomes entitled under the law to engage in a particular activity or becomes responsible for particular acts
the legal age for drinking in this state
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