under-ageadj.n.

Brit.

/ˌʌndərˈeɪdʒ/, U.S.

/ˌəndərˈeɪdʒ/

Etymology: See under prep. 22b and under- prefix².

1. adj. Not of full age; youthful, immature.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > age > youth > [adjective] > young (of beings)

littleeOE

youngOE

younglyOE

younglinga1250

little waxena1325

greena1398

imperfecta1398

primec1429

unold?1440

juvync1450

novelc1450

unaged1486

in youth's flowers?1507

unbearded1560

unweaned1581

whelpish1586

ungrown1593

under-age1594

unhatched1601

infantine1603

springalda1614

unbakeda1616

unlickeda1616

juvenile1625

lile1633

juvenal1638

bloomy1651

youngish1667

blooming1676

puerilea1680

youngerly1742

steerish1789

chota1814

white-shoe1960

1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. D4^v Farre bee it my vnder-age argumentes should intrude themselues as a greene weake prop to support so high a building.

1612 J. Webster White Divel i. ii I myself have loved a lady, and pursued her with a great deal of under-age protestation.

1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta II. xli. 175 As secret as if I were some under-age heiress to an Indian fortune.

2. Carried on by someone below the legal age (for the activity).

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > child > [adjective] > minor

within agec1400

of nonage1418

meindre age1443

minor1552

nonaged1601

under-age1978

society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > [adjective] > relating to crime > young offenders or their offences > done by someone below the legal age

under-age1978

1978 Morecambe Guardian 14 Mar. 19/8 He went on, about supervision on the rally site, and the danger of under-age drinking.

1983 Sun 8 June 15/3 He persuaded her to pose nude and sing about under-age sex.

†3. n. The time during which a person is under age; minority. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > child > [noun] > childhood > minority

nonage1400

less agec1436

minority1493

pupillarity1561

nonwit1571

pupilship1581

pupillage1590

pupil age1598

under-age1613

underagedness1648

infancy1658

leading-string1677

minorship1841

minorage1888

1613–18 S. Daniel Coll. Hist. Eng. (1626) 28 The Duke..recouers his peace, and the Castle of Thuilliers taken from him in his vnder-age.

1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. F. Biondi Hist. Civil Warres Eng. I. iii. 147 The underage and weaknesse of his succeeding sonne.

1649 Bp. J. Hall Resol. & Decisions iv. i. 379 Neither do the Roman doctors generally hold otherwise this day in case of an under-age.

Derivatives

underˈagedness n. rare Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.

ΘΚΠ