A somewhat literary or formal word for one's age, often used in set phrases like 齢を重ねる (to grow older). In casual speech, 年 (とし) or 年齢 (ねんれい) are more common.
年 is the most common and neutral word for 'age' or 'year' in everyday conversation, while 齢 is more literary and often used in formal or poetic contexts.
年齢 is the standard formal term for 'age' used in official documents and polite speech, whereas 齢 carries a more classical or emotional nuance.
Etymology
Derived from classical Japanese. The kanji 齢 originally means 'age' or 'years' and is used in compounds like 年齢. The reading よわい is a native Japanese word (yamato-kotoba) with the same meaning.
