middle age

noun

: the period of life from about 45 to about 64
middle-aged adjective
middle-ager noun

Examples of middle age in a Sentence

as our generation approaches middle age The patient was in late middle age. He feared the approach of middle age.
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.
Rock was fading from the mainstream, R&B was getting weird, rap was entering its middle age, and EDM was suddenly at the center of everything. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025 The Same River Twice, released in 2003, found the friends in middle age, most of them raising children, contending with family, romantic partnerships and careers. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025 Now, in his late-middle age, a much more flexible Linklater is ruminating on other notorious artists. David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 The heedless afternoons of childhood meet the fatherless afternoons of late middle age, and the bereaved son is in danger of being buried in them. James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for middle age

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle age was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle%20age. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

middle age

noun
: the period of life from about 45 to about 64
middle-aged
ˌmid-ᵊl-ˈājd
adjective

Medical Definition

middle age

noun
mid·​dle age ˌmid-ᵊl-ˈāj How to pronounce middle age (audio)
: the period of life from about 45 to about 64 years of age
middle-aged adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on middle age

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!