Is the sentence "children under 8 years old" means 0-8 or 0-7? as I understand, less than 8 does not include 8. How about "under"? I just think about "under" as similar as "less" so I just think it does not include 8. But an activity marked as "children under 8 years old cannot participate in this..." does not sell a ticket for 8. So I wonder about it.
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1If I said Pick any single-digit number under 8, would you seriously consider choosing 8? Go check a dictionary.– FumbleFingersJun 14, 2018 at 15:33
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Related question ell.stackexchange.com/q/136949/9161– ColleenVJun 14, 2018 at 16:01
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2@FumbleFingers - Given that (a) the OP has already explained in an earlier question that their native language uses different words for 'greater than or equal to' and 'greater than'; (b) the OP has already postulated a hunch that the expression "under 8" would not include 8-year-olds, and (c) a dictionary may list upwards of almost 20 definitions for the preposition under, I think this question seems legit, while your comment seems a bit condescending and insensitive toward our target audience.– J.R. ♦Jun 14, 2018 at 17:54
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2The usual phrase used in North America is "children aged eight and under." The "and" makes it explicit that eight-year-olds are included.– Canadian YankeeJun 15, 2018 at 1:40
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Thanks for all comments and answers. Anyway, I am still a learner, maybe till end of my life, and I just want to make sure my understating. I am happy with every single sentences in the answers and comments.– sio4Jun 28, 2018 at 9:15
3 Answers
Under means less than so, technically, an 8-year-old should not be participating in an "Under 8" activity.
If you were running such an activity, and wanted 8-year-olds to be included, you could either say, "Under 9", or "Through age 8". ("Up to age 8" is another valid way to say it.)
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In addition to J.R.'s response; the school sports teams I am familiar with would set a certain date on which all team members had to be below a certain age - although they were permitted to continue playing for the team even if they reached that age before the end of the season. Jun 14, 2018 at 14:55
It technically would exclude eight-year-olds, but it's often used to include eight-year-olds. To avoid ambiguity, you should use a different term, such as "eight and under".