age group
C1Formal, Neutral, Technical
Definition
Meaning
A specific range of ages within a population.
A demographic category used for social, commercial, medical, or statistical analysis, defined by shared age characteristics.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically implies a cohort or segment for comparative purposes; often used with modifiers like 'target', 'specific', 'younger', 'older'. Singular 'group' can refer to multiple people.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. Usage is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both contexts.
Frequency
Equally common in formal, academic, marketing, and demographic discourse in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun + of + [determiner] + age groupAdjective + age groupVerb + for/in/within + age groupVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specifically for this term]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in marketing to define target consumers, e.g., 'Our product targets the 18-25 age group.'
Academic
Used in sociology, psychology, and epidemiology for research cohorts, e.g., 'The study compared outcomes across three age groups.'
Everyday
Used in general conversation about activities or trends, e.g., 'The event is suitable for all age groups.'
Technical
Used in demography, public health, and data analysis for precise segmentation, e.g., 'Vaccination rates vary by five-year age group.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Not applicable; 'age group' is a noun phrase]
American English
- [Not applicable; 'age group' is a noun phrase]
adverb
British English
- [Not applicable]
American English
- [Not applicable]
adjective
British English
- [Not applicable as a standalone adjective. Used attributively: 'age-group data', 'age-group categories']
American English
- [Not applicable as a standalone adjective. Used attributively: 'age-group data', 'age-group categories']
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Children in the 5-7 age group learn to read.
- The game is fun for my age group.
- Our survey focused on the 25-34 age group.
- People in the older age group may remember this song.
- Marketing campaigns are often tailored to a specific age group and its values.
- Voter turnout was highest among the 45-60 age group.
- The policy's impact was analysed by disaggregating the data into five-year age groups.
- Mortality rates in the affected age group showed a statistically significant increase.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'AGE' as the defining line and 'GROUP' as the circle drawn around people who share that line.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGE IS A CONTAINER (people are 'in' an age group); CATEGORIZATION IS BOXING (people are placed into demographic boxes).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'возрастная группа' when a simpler 'для (кого-то)' works (e.g., 'for teenagers').
- Remember it's a countable noun: 'different age groups', not 'different age group'.
- Do not confuse with 'generation' (поколение), which implies a shared time of birth, not just a numerical range.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'people of same age group'). Correct: 'people of the same age group'.
- Confusing 'age group' with 'social group'.
- Misspelling as 'agegroup' (should be two words or hyphenated: 'age-group').
Practice
Quiz
In demographic studies, what is an 'age group' primarily used for?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as two separate words ('age group'). The hyphenated form ('age-group') is less common but acceptable, especially when used as a compound modifier before a noun (e.g., 'age-group distribution').
An 'age group' is defined purely by chronological age range (e.g., 30-39 year-olds). A 'generation' (e.g., Millennials) refers to a cohort born and living at the same time, sharing broader cultural and historical experiences, not just an age bracket.
No. By definition, a 'group' implies a collection. You would refer to an individual's 'age' or say they 'belong to' or 'are in' a particular age group.
It is neutral but leans towards formal or technical registers. It is perfectly standard in everyday speech, but in casual conversation, people might simply say 'people in their 20s' or 'kids that age'.