Meaning & use
underage
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Younger than the age that the law allows for something such as drinking, driving, or voting.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: underage drinking. It can also follow a linking verb: she is underage.
Patterns
- be underage
- underage drinking
- underage smoking
The bar was fined for serving underage customers.
He tried to buy alcohol, but the cashier could see he was underage.
Many countries have strict laws against underage driving.
adjectivenot comparable
Not old enough to take part in an activity or to be treated as an adult.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb, often with 'for': underage for the competition.
Patterns
- be underage for something
- underage participants
She was underage for the marathon, so she had to wait a year.
The club turned away underage applicants.
Common combinations
- underage drinking
- The school started a program to prevent underage drinking.
- underage smoking
- Underage smoking has fallen in recent years.
- underage driver
- An underage driver caused the accident.
- underage drinking laws
- The state tightened its underage drinking laws.
Synonyms and how they differ
- minor
- A noun or adjective for a person below the legal adult age; it focuses on legal status rather than the specific activity.
- juvenile
- More formal and often used in legal contexts; it can sound harsh when talking about people.
Opposites
Word family
- underaged adjective
- A less common variant spelling of underage.
- age noun
- The number of years someone has lived.
Commonly confused: underage or under age?
underage vs under age
Written as two words, this can mean 'below a particular age' in a general sense, but the one-word form is the standard adjective for legal restrictions.
Practice
In many countries, it is illegal to sell alcohol to ______ customers.
Choose one answer.
The standard adjective before a noun is 'underage'. 'Under age' is usually written as two words and is less common in this position; 'underaged' is a rare variant; 'ageing' means getting older.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.