underage

adjective

un·​der·​age ˌən-dər-ˈāj How to pronounce underage (audio)
Synonyms of underagenext
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.
Search warrants revealed that Jacobsen had contacted dozens of underage girls through Snapchat, prosecutors said. — Dean J. Condoleo, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 That court filing said that TikTok has hundreds of personnel trained in underage moderation and as a result deletes tens of thousands of underage accounts. — David Shepardson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Some of the girls are clearly underage, but the police officers nearby do not appear interested in asking them to prove their identities. — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 The underage suspect was booked into Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall on similar charges. — Jessica Baltaxe, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

under a doctor's care
underage
underair
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underage. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for underage

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