Skip to main content

ageism — discrimination or prejudice against people based on their age, especially against older people

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: discrimination or prejudice against people based on their age, especially against older people

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈeɪdʒɪzəm/

Example Sentences

  • The company's hiring policy was criticized for blatant ageism against workers over 50.
  • Grandpa started a tech company to prove that ageism in Silicon Valley is just a myth.
  • The anti-ageism campaign featured a 70-year-old influencer with more followers than most teenagers.

ageism

NOUN

[/ˈeɪdʒɪzəm/]

discrimination or prejudice against people based on their age, especially against older people

a confident older woman in professional attire sits across from two younger interviewers at a sleek desk. She presents her impressive resume while maintaining eye contact and gesturing professionally. The younger interviewers exchange skeptical glances and display dismissive body language despite her qualifications. One interviewer leans back with crossed arms while the other looks at a clock impatiently. Other younger employees in the background appear to be getting positive attention from supervisors.  discrimination or prejudice against people based on their age, especially against older people
💡 Concept

a confident older woman in professional attire sits across from two younger interviewers at a sleek desk. She presents her impressive resume while maintaining eye contact and gesturing professionally. The younger interviewers exchange skeptical glances and display dismissive body language despite her qualifications. One interviewer leans back with crossed arms while the other looks at a clock impatiently. Other younger employees in the background appear to be getting positive attention from supervisors. discrimination or prejudice against people based on their age, especially against older people

Together we fight ageism, racism, and sexism!
🎵 Rhyme

Together we fight ageism, racism, and sexism!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈeɪdʒɪzəm/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈeɪdʒɪzəm/

🌳Etymology

Rootage
Suffix--ism

Origin

Ageism is a neologism coined in the 1960s by American gerontologist Robert Butler, modeled after existing terms like racism and sexism. The term emerged to describe systematic discrimination and stereotyping based on age, particularly against older adults in American society.

Breakdown

age (noun, referring to how old a person is) + -ism (suffix denoting a system of discrimination or prejudice, as seen in racism and sexism).

🎵Rhyme

racism
sexism
classism

🔗Collocations

workplace ageism
combat ageism
age discrimination
ageism awareness
reverse ageism
institutional ageism

📝Examples

“The company's hiring policy was criticized for blatant ageism against workers over 50.”

😄 Fun example

“Grandpa started a tech company to prove that ageism in Silicon Valley is just a myth.”

😄 Fun example

“The anti-ageism campaign featured a 70-year-old influencer with more followers than most teenagers.”

“Laws against ageism protect both older and younger workers from unfair treatment.”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.