Standard Lemma guide

underage

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ŭn-dər-ājʹ
  • /ˌʌndəɹˈeɪd͡ʒ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪdʒ
  • ŭnʹ-dər-ĭj
  • /ˈʌndəɹɪd͡ʒ/
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 N D ER0 IH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Below the legal age (usually age 18 or 21) for some activity, such as consuming alcohol or engaging in sexual intercourse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • underage drinking
  • underage marriage
  • The bar was fined for serving alcohol to an underage customer.
  • He was arrested for driving while underage.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not yet a legal adult; still a minor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • underage offender

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Limited to players below a certain age; junior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, not-comparable

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A deficit or shortfall in funds, inventory, or capacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not of legal age

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • minor children

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minor, nonaged

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

dependent by virtue of youth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From under- + age.

Etymology tree English under Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English underage From under + -age.

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَاصِر (qāṣir) — below legal age
  • Armenian: անչափահաս (ančʻapʻahas) — below legal age
  • Belarusian: непаўнале́тні (njepawnaljétni) — below legal age
  • Bulgarian: непълноле́тен (nepǎlnoléten) — below legal age
  • Bulgarian: малоле́тен (maloléten) — below legal age
  • Catalan: menor d'edat — below legal age
  • Chinese Mandarin: 未成年 (wèichéngnián) — below legal age
  • Danish: mindreårig — below legal age
  • Danish: umyndig — below legal age
  • Esperanto: neplenaĝa — below legal age
  • Estonian: alaealine — below legal age
  • Finnish: alaikäinen — below legal age
  • French: mineur — below legal age
  • Georgian: არასრულწლოვანი (arasrulc̣lovani) — below legal age
  • German: minderjährig — below legal age
  • Gujarati: સગીર (sagīr) — below legal age
  • Hindi: नाबालिग (nābālig) — below legal age
  • Irish: faoi aois — below legal age
  • Italian: minorenne — below legal age
  • Japanese: 未成年 (miseinen) — below legal age
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mindreårig — below legal age
  • Norwegian Bokmål: umyndig — below legal age
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mindreårig — below legal age
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: umyndig — below legal age
  • Polish: niepełnoletni — below legal age
  • Portuguese: menor — below legal age
  • Russian: несовершенноле́тний (nesoveršennolétnij) — below legal age
  • Serbo-Croatian: малољетан — below legal age
  • Serbo-Croatian: maloljetan — below legal age
  • Swedish: minderårig — below legal age
  • Swedish: omyndig — below legal age
  • Turkish: reşit olmayan — below legal age
  • Ukrainian: неповнолі́тній (nepovnolítnij) — below legal age
  • Welsh: tan oed — below legal age
  • Arabic: قَاصِر (qāṣir) — still a minor
  • Armenian: անչափահաս (ančʻapʻahas) — still a minor
  • Bulgarian: непълноле́тен (nepǎlnoléten) — still a minor
  • Bulgarian: малоле́тен (maloléten) — still a minor
  • Danish: mindreårig — still a minor
  • Dutch: minderjarig — still a minor
  • Finnish: alaikäinen — still a minor
  • French: mineur — still a minor
  • Georgian: არასრულწლოვანი (arasrulc̣lovani) — still a minor
  • German: minderjährig — still a minor
  • Greek: ανήλικος (anílikos) — still a minor
  • Hindi: नाबालिग (nābālig) — still a minor
  • Hungarian: kiskorú — still a minor
  • Italian: minore — still a minor
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mindreårig — still a minor
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mindreårig — still a minor
  • Russian: несовершенноле́тний (nesoveršennolétnij) — still a minor
  • Russian: малоле́тний (malolétnij) — still a minor
  • Swedish: minderårig — still a minor
  • Ukrainian: неповнолі́тній (nepovnolítnij) — still a minor
  • Ukrainian: малолі́тній (malolítnij) — still a minor