Over, above, under, below

Everyone over 18 years old can enter the contest.

Questions:

  1. Is it okay to say “Everyone above 18 years old can enter the contest”?
  2. Is the opposite like this, “Everyone under 18 or below 18 can’t enter the contest”?

Thank you!!!

At least to my ears. “Everyone over 18 years old can enter the contest” sounds better.
“Everyone below 18” this doesn’t sound right to me. defiantly say “under” instead of “below”

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Yes, 1 is okay and yes 2 is (or could be) the (technical) opposite.

For 2, you would say, “No one under 18 can enter the contest” or “Anyone under 18 cannot enter the contest.”

Incidentally, as the drinking age in America is 21 years old, many states make it easy for lazy and stupid clerks, bouncers, and police officers and have their driver license marked “Under 21.” Some states even make the layout vertical.

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the more common way to say this is “Must be 18 or older to participate” or a less common, but still used way is “Must be age of majority to participate”

the contest is implied. the second example is saying that you must be a legal adult wherever you are. hope that helps!

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