coming of age
noun/ˌkʌmɪŋ əv ˈeɪdʒ/
/ˌkʌmɪŋ əv ˈeɪdʒ/
[singular]- the time when a person reaches the age at which they have an adult’s legal rights and responsibilitiesCultureThis is usually thought of as a person's 18th birthday. At 18, a person can also vote in elections and get married without the agreement of their parents (though 16-year-olds in Scotland can get married without such agreement and vote in local elections). The 21st birthday might also be thought of as a coming of age, especially in some US states where people are not allowed to buy alcohol until the age of 21. This was also the legal coming of age in Britain until the law was changed on January 1, 1970.
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coming of age