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age of consent
noun phrase
: the age at which one is legally competent to give consent especially to marriage or to sexual intercourse
Examples of age of consent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the largest dating apps, including Grindr, Tinder, Hinge and OK Cupid, require users to be at least 18, though the age of consent in Michigan is 16.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 9 Oct. 2024
That’s especially true in rural areas where Orthodox Christianity defines the social order, girls are often married before the age of consent, and many hospitals don’t even stock the contraception pills they’re legally obligated to provide.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
Théo is past the age of consent, but the relationship is incestuous, legally speaking, thanks to a change in the French penal code in 2021.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
Last year, the country raised the age of consent from 13 to 16, and in 2017 men were allowed to report allegations of rape.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for age of consent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'age of consent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1504, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near age of consent
Cite this Entry
“Age of consent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/age%20of%20consent. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
age of consent
noun
age of con·sent
-kən-ˈsent
: the age at which one is legally competent to give consent especially to marriage or to sexual intercourse
Legal Definition
age of consent
: the age at which a person is deemed competent by law to give consent especially to sexual intercourse or marriage see also statutory rape compare emancipation, legal age
More from Merriam-Webster on age of consent
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about age of consent
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