How to Use age of consent in a Sentence

age of consent

noun phrase
  • Maryland’s age of consent is 16, though with some exceptions.
    — Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Many believe one way to help block the procedures for children is to change the age of consent to 18.
    — Breccan F. Thies, Washington Examiner, 20 July 2023
  • The age of consent is 15, according to the country’s penal code.
    — Caitlin Danaher, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The age of consent in Kentucky is 16, but deputies did not say if the suspect knew the girl was a minor.
    — Chris Spargo, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The actual age of consent is between 16 and 18, depending on the state.
    — Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026
  • The age of consent in the Bahamas is 16, but the lawsuit says the girl was intoxicated and could not give consent.
    — Jim Vertuno, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
  • One of his accusers was younger than 16, the age of consent in Nevada, when the abuse began, according to the indictment.
    — CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
  • In the past, a victim had only until 20 years past the age of consent, or up to age 38, to file civil lawsuits against offenders.
    — Jean Marbella, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023
  • This bill ensures that the age of consent remains 18, but with a provision for military families who may face unique circumstances.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
  • That was fairly typical for the time because, Sturgeon noted, the age of consent in Arizona was 10.
    — Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
  • The age of consent in the French colonies, as in France itself, was thirteen; nothing stopped him, legally or morally, from taking up with a young girl, at home or abroad.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
  • Even when both people involved are above the age of consent, even decades removed from age 18, the younger person is often infantilized and the older of the pair is deemed predatory.
    — Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025
  • States like California and Colorado have recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12.
    — Michael Elsen-Rooney, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2024
  • And as Ring notes, taking Misley across state lines turns this into a federal question, and the federal age of consent is also 18.
    — Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2023
  • The senator and undercover officer also discussed the age of consent, according to the complaint.
    — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Théo is past the age of consent, but the relationship is incestuous, legally speaking, thanks to a change in the French penal code in 2021.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
  • Du posted on social media claims that Wu had lured several other women, some under the age of consent, while pretending to be recruiting actresses.
    — Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 July 2023
  • Rocky River police determined that because Ohio law’s age of consent is 16, no crime was committed, according to the lawsuit.
    — Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Should things get physical between your son and his girlfriend, the legal aspect of the situation could complicate matters further, given that both teenagers are below the age of consent in every state.
    — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The new law, which had been approved by the House of Representatives in May, is the first time Japan has changed its age of consent in more than 100 years.
    — Motoko Rich, BostonGlobe.com, 16 June 2023
  • Globally, conversations surrounding digital safety and the digital age of consent have rocketed in its wake.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The accusers included a woman who was 16, the British age of consent, during her relationship with Brand, who was in his early 30s.
    — Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
  • The new laws expand the definition of rape to place greater emphasis on the concept of consent; introduce national legislation against taking explicit photos with hidden cameras; and raise the age of consent to 16.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN, 16 June 2023
  • That’s especially true in rural areas where Orthodox Christianity defines the social order, girls are often married before the age of consent, and many hospitals don’t even stock the contraception pills they’re legally obligated to provide.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'age of consent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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