of a certain age

Meanings

prepositional phrase

euphemisticMiddle-aged or older.
a lady of a certain age
3 more examples
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
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
1989, Graham Lyle, Albert Hammond, “I Don't Wanna Lose You”, in Foreign Affair, performed by Tina Turner
Synonyms: getting on in years, on in years, long in the tooth, older, senior, elderly, geriatric
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see of, a, certain, age: belonging to some particular specified age range.
All able-bodied men of a certain age were subject to conscription by royal decree.

prepositional phraseMiddle-aged or older.

Similar

Also see

Perhaps a calque of French d'un certain âge.

More words from French

Cite this entry

APA

of a certain age. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/of%20a%20certain%20age

MLA

“of a certain age.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/of%20a%20certain%20age. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “of a certain age,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/of%20a%20certain%20age.