chronological age: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Academic/Technical/Formal
Quick answer
What does “chronological age” mean?
The exact number of years, months, and days a person has lived since birth.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The exact number of years, months, and days a person has lived since birth.
A measure of biological and social time elapsed since birth, often contrasted with psychological or developmental age; used in various fields like psychology, education, and gerontology to assess development relative to peers.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. Spelling follows regional conventions for 'ageing/aging' in derivative forms.
Connotations
Neutral and factual in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally common in academic and technical contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “chronological age” in a Sentence
The noun phrase is preceded by a possessive or determiner (e.g., *his chronological age*, *the child's chronological age*). It often follows prepositions like *at*, *by*, *for* (e.g., *grouped by chronological age*).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chronological age” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A as a verb.
American English
- N/A as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A as an adverb.
American English
- N/A as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The chronological-age data was collected from school records.
American English
- Researchers controlled for chronological age differences.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in HR contexts discussing age demographics or retirement planning.
Academic
Common in psychology, education, and medical research papers comparing development to age norms.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation; 'age' or 'how old' is used instead.
Technical
Standard in clinical assessments, educational testing, and gerontology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “chronological age”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “chronological age”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chronological age”
- Using it interchangeably with 'age' in casual contexts. Incorrect pluralisation ('chronological ages' is acceptable in technical contexts).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In everyday language, they are often used interchangeably. However, in technical contexts, 'chronological age' is used precisely to distinguish it from other types of age (e.g., biological, mental).
It is almost exclusively used for living beings, especially humans. For objects, terms like 'age', 'date', or 'antiquity' are preferred.
This is uncommon and potentially awkward. 'Chronological age in years' or simply 'age in years' is standard.
The plural is 'chronological ages', used when referring to the ages of multiple individuals (e.g., 'the chronological ages of the cohort varied').
The exact number of years, months, and days a person has lived since birth.
Chronological age is usually academic/technical/formal in register.
Chronological age: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɒn.əˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl eɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɑː.nəˈlɑː.dʒɪ.kəl eɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He's wise beyond his chronological age.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CHRONOmeter (time-measurer) + LOGICAL (based on facts) + AGE. It's the logical, fact-based measure of time you've aged.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGE IS A MEASURABLE QUANTITY ON A TIMELINE.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'chronological age' LEAST likely to be used?