underage

adjective

un·​der·​age ˌən-dər-ˈāj How to pronounce underage (audio)
1
: of less than mature or legal age
2
: done by or involving underage persons
underage drinking

Examples of underage in a Sentence

They were not allowed into the club because they were underage.
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.
Maxwell, a former British socialite who had been accused of procuring and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse, fascinated Kraus. Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 These videos are age-gated to 18 and older and cannot appear in the feeds of underage accounts. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025 The loose age restriction is raising some concerns—namely that the messaging feature could be misused either by teenagers who send inappropriate content to each other, or by predatory users who want access to underage individuals. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 28 Aug. 2025 Peters alleged that underage drinking, abuse and domestic violence took place at the wedding. Ilana Frost, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for underage

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underage was in 1561

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Cite this Entry

“Underage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underage. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

underage

adjective
un·​der·​age ˌən-də-ˈrāj How to pronounce underage (audio)
: of less than mature or legal age

More from Merriam-Webster on underage

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