Dictionary Home »
Legal Definitions » age
age legal definition
noun
A period of time, especially
one marking the time of existence or the duration of life.
age of capacity
The age, usually determined by statute, at which a person
becomes legally capable of becoming a party to a contract, executing a
testamentary document (such as a trust or will), initiate a lawsuit without a
guardian, and so on. See capacity.
age of consent
- The age, usually determined by statute, below which a person may not marry without parental consent. See also consent.
- The age, usually determined by statute, below which a person is legally incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse. See consent and rape.
age of majority
The age, usually determined by statute, at which a person
attains full civil, legal, and political rights. See also age of consent.
age of reason
- The age, usually determined by statute, below which a child cannot be legally capable of committing a crime.
- The age, usually determined by statute or case law, below which a child cannot be legally capable of committing a tort.
legal age
The age, usually determined by statute, at which a person becomes
legally capable to exercise a specific right or privilege or to assume a
specific responsibility. For example, in many states, a person may legally
drive an automobile once she is 16 years of age, but has to wait until she is
21 to legally drink alcohol.
Learn more about age