Age of majority

The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law.^[1] It is the moment when a person ceases to be considered a minor and assumes legal control over their person, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over them. Most countries set the age of majority at 18, but some jurisdictions have a higher age and others lower. The word majority here refers to having greater years and being of full age as opposed to minority, the state of being a minor. The law in a given jurisdiction may not actually use the term "age of majority".

The term typically refers to a collection of laws bestowing the status of adulthood. Those under the age of majority are referred to as minors and are legally forbidden from enjoying certain privileges or rights (e.g. the right to vote, buy and/or drink alcohol, marry, sign a binding contract). However, there are exceptions in which those who have reached the age of majority can be referred to as minors. For example, if a country's age of majority is 18, but the legal drinking age is 21, then a 20 year old would still be considered a "minor" in situations involving buying or consuming alcohol. Another example is the age to consent to sexual activity, which in most of the cases in the world is under the age of majority. In other cases, it can be above the age of majority, and in that case the younger part, despite having already reached the legal adulthood, would be still referred to as minor or underage to consent to sexual activity.^[2][3][4]

If a minor attempts to use adult privileges without being of age, they have committed a crime. Therefore, they could be prosecuted as a criminal and sentenced to fines or, more rarely, incarceration.

Age of majority should not be confused with the age of maturity, age of sexual consent, age of criminal responsibility, marriageable age, school-leaving age, legal working age, drinking age, driving age, voting age, smoking age, gambling age, etc., which each may be independent of and set at a different age from the age of majority.