legal age
legal age — noun
1. the point in someone's life when the law starts to treat them as a grown-up, wit
the point in someone's life when the law starts to treat them as a grown-up, with all the rights and duties that come with being an adult
In Taiwan, a person reaches legal age and can vote at eighteen.
reach legal age at [number]
Tariq waited until he was of legal age before he signed the lease himself.
be of legal age before doing something
Grandfather Reuben left the farm in trust until his grandson reaches legal age.
Once Heloísa turned eighteen, she was finally of legal age to open her own bank account.
Japan lowered its legal age from twenty to eighteen back in 2022.
- age of majority
the formal legal term, common in contracts and statutes
- adulthood
broader and less legal; can mean maturity rather than a fixed birthday
- voting age
narrower; only the age allowed to vote, which often equals legal age
- minority
the legal state of being under legal age
文法句型
reach legal age
be of legal age
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'the', or in the fixed phrases 'reach legal age' and 'be of legal age'. The exact number varies by country and is decided by law, not by physical maturity.
常見錯誤
2. the youngest age the law allows for doing one particular thing, such as driving,
the youngest age the law allows for doing one particular thing, such as driving, marrying, or buying alcohol
In France, the legal age for buying alcohol is eighteen.
the legal age for [activity]
Christopher learned that the legal age to drive a car was sixteen in his state.
the legal age to do something
In England, lawmakers raised the legal age for marriage from sixteen to eighteen.
The shop refused to sell the cigarettes because Anong was below the legal age.
Ishaan was thrilled to learn the legal age for getting a driver's licence was seventeen.
- minimum age
the everyday equivalent; less formal and not always set by law
- age limit
stresses the boundary itself, and can be an upper limit too
- age requirement
formal; common on forms and official rules
文法句型
the legal age for something
the legal age to do something
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is always tied to one specific activity (driving, drinking, marrying) and takes 'for' or 'to', whereas sense 1 names the single age of full adulthood.