noun

le âge

age

C’est le nombre d’années qu’une personne ou une chose a vécu depuis sa naissance ou sa création.

Definition & meaning

The word âge primarily refers to the amount of time a living being has existed or an object has lasted since its creation. It is most commonly used to indicate a person's chronological age.

Beyond individual age, the word has two other significant meanings:

A stage of life: It identifies specific periods in human development, such as "le bas âge" (infancy) or "le troisième âge" (senior years).
A historical or geological period: It designates a major era in history or science, such as "l'âge de fer" (the Iron Age) or "le Moyen Âge" (the Middle Ages).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: Âge is a masculine noun. In a sentence, it is preceded by masculine articles like "un" or "l'".

Word origin: The word originates from the Old French aage or edage, which evolved from the Vulgar Latin aetaticum. This was derived from the Latin word aetas, meaning "age" or "era." The circumflex accent over the "â" represents the disappearance of the second "a" found in the Old French spelling (aage).

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

Époque : Used when referring to a specific period in history.
Période : Used to describe a length of time.
Ancienneté : Often used in a professional context to describe how long someone has been in a position (seniority).
Vie : Sometimes used to refer to the duration of an existence.

Antonyms: The word "âge" as a concept of time does not have a direct opposite. However, when referring to the state of being old, it can be contrasted with:

Jeunesse : Meaning youth.
Nouveauté : Meaning newness or novelty in the context of objects.