English

Noun

age of consent ‎(plural ages of consent)

1. (law) The age at which a person is legally considered to be mature enough to engage willingly in sexual intercourse, so that it is not a crime for someone else to have sex with the person.

Usage notes

The term is used to indicate the age at which it is no longer a crime for someone else to engage in consensual sexual intercourse with a person. When the person is still younger than the age of consent they are considered legally a victim of a crime, because by law they are considered incapable of giving permission to someone else to engage in sexual intercourse with them.

Translations

See also

• age of majority
• have sex
• statutory rape
• jailbait