drinking age
noun
: the age at which a person can legally buy and drink alcohol
The drinking age in the U.S. is 21.
Examples of drinking age in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The legal drinking age in New York was 18 in 1969, and Stonewall had a reputation for letting in even younger patrons, Denby found in his research.
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Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
For instance, the voting age in the US was lowered from 21 to 18 to reflect youth participation in the Vietnam War, while the drinking age was set at 21 in the 1980s in response to concerns over drink-driving fatalities among the young.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 17 June 2024
Was the legal drinking age just a suggestion in 2009?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
Since 1984, the nationwide minimum legal drinking age has been 21.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drinking age 
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
For instance, the voting age in the US was lowered from 21 to 18 to reflect youth participation in the Vietnam War, while the drinking age was set at 21 in the 1980s in response to concerns over drink-driving fatalities among the young.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 17 June 2024
Was the legal drinking age just a suggestion in 2009?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
Since 1984, the nationwide minimum legal drinking age has been 21.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drinking age
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drinking age.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Drinking age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drinking%20age. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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