老化 lǎohuà to age
(of a person, population or material) to age; (of knowledge) to become outdated
How to remember 老化: 老 old + 化 change = to age.
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How it is used
- 'To age / become outdated' - of people, materials, or systems - 人口老化 (rénkǒu lǎohuà) population aging; 设备老化 (shèbèi lǎohuà) equipment deteriorating with age.
- A neutral, often technical term for aging as a process/deterioration, vs 变老 (biàn lǎo, to grow old, of a person).
- Common in demographics, engineering, and tech.