Try Our Apps
Dictionary.com

follow Dictionary.com

Famous Last Words

gerontocracy

[jer-uh n-tok-ruh-see, jeer-] /ˌdʒɛr ənˈtɒk rə si, ˌdʒɪər-/
noun, plural gerontocracies.
1.
government by a council of elders.
2.
a governing body consisting of old people.
3.
a state or government in which old people rule.
Origin of gerontocracy
1820-1830
First recorded in 1820-30; geronto- + -cracy
Related forms
gerontocrat
[juh-ron-tuh-krat] /dʒəˈrɒn təˌkræt/ (Show IPA), noun
gerontocratic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for gerontocracy
Historical Examples

  • gerontocracy, that is, government by the aged, is the most ancient form of government.

    The Cult of Incompetence Emile Faguet
British Dictionary definitions for gerontocracy

gerontocracy

/ˌdʒɛrɒnˈtɒkrəsɪ/
noun (pl) -cies
1.
government by old people
2.
a governing body of old people
Derived Forms
gerontocratic (dʒəˌrɒntəˈkrætɪk) adjective
gerontocrat, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for gerontocracy
n.

rule by old men, 1830, from Greek geront-, from geron "old man" (see gerontology) + kratia "rule" (see -cracy). Related: Gerontocratic.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
gerontocracy in Culture
gerontocracy [(jer-uhn-tok-ruh-see)]

A society ruled by elders.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Word of the Day

Difficulty index for gerontocracy

Few English speakers likely know this word

Word Value for gerontocracy

0
23
Scrabble Words With Friends

Nearby words for gerontocracy

Heartbreak