underage

adjective

un·​der·​age ˌən-dər-ˈāj 

1

: of less than mature or legal age

2

: done by or involving underage persons

underage drinking

Examples of underage in a Sentence

They were not allowed into the club because they were underage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Runaway Wedding follows underage lovers Matt and Anna, who elope to the chagrin of their parents, who chase them across the country — and unexpectedly fall in love, themselves. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026

Sunday at the Royal Banquet Hall, where police had been called hours earlier to investigate reports of underage drinking, Greenboro Police Department said in a news release. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026

Following his public apology over sending inappropriate messages to an underage fan, guitarist Simon O’Connor has been dropped from Modest Mouse’s upcoming tour dates. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026

The new series, too, features a law-enforcement culture where disinterest in gendered violence is the norm, and cops knowingly patronize establishments that traffic underage girls. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

underage

adjective

un·​der·​age ˌən-də-ˈrāj 

: of less than mature or legal age