Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

of a certain age

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.93 in modern English

Syllables: of a cer-tain age
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Middle-aged or older.

prep_phrase

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see of, a, certain, age: belonging to some particular specified age range.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: (indeterminate) getting on in years, on in years, long in the tooth; (past middle age) older, senior, elderly, geriatric; see also Thesaurus:elderly"
"a lady of a certain age"
"Now that I'm of a certain age, I need reading glasses to see up close."
"Women of a certain age / They learn to rely and your job is responses / Having played the mating game"
"All able-bodied men of a certain age were subject to conscription by royal decree."

Etymology

Perhaps a calque of French d'un certain âge.

Phrases

time of life

Frequently Paired Words

time of life

Synonyms

getting on in years on in years long in the tooth older senior elderly geriatric

Questions

What does of a certain age mean?: Middle-aged or older.
Where does of a certain age come from?: Perhaps a calque of French d'un certain âge.

How to pronounce of a certain age

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