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

In addition to having an open lawsuit against the school, the women are working to help get support for a bill state lawmakers have introduced that would allow for people like teachers in positions of power to be held criminally responsible, even if the student has reached the age of consent. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025

In California, the age of consent at the time was eighteen; Grey was then sixteen, which exposed Chaplin to charges of statutory rape. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

The age of consent in Kentucky is 16, but deputies did not say if the suspect knew the girl was a minor. —Chris Spargo, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Should things get physical between your son and his girlfriend, the legal aspect of the situation could complicate matters further, given that both teenagers are below the age of consent in every state. —Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1504, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for age of consent

• accent
• advent
• ascent
• assent
• augment
• cement
• dement
• descent
• detent
• dissent
• event
• extent

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