ageism
Americannoun
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discrimination against persons of a certain age group.
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a tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment.
noun
Usage
What is ageism? Ageism is treating people of a certain age group negatively solely because of their age, as in Thinking that all teenagers are irresponsible is ageism. Ageism is any form of discrimination against people because of their age. Most often, ageism is targeted toward older people, such as thinking that elderly people are helpless because of their advanced age. However, any age group can be discriminated against. For example, thinking that someone in their 20s is too young to be a manager is ageism. So is thinking that teenagers are irresponsible. Example: When you don’t get hired for a position you’re qualified for just because you’re older, that sounds like ageism.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ageism
First recorded in 1965–70; age + -ism, on the model of sexism, racism, etc.
Explanation
Ageism is discriminating against someone because of how old they are. Forcing a worker to retire because they've just turned 65 is an example of ageism. Ageism, like other forms of discrimination, can take many forms. Some of these are illegal, like denying someone an apartment or a job because of their age. A boss who chooses a younger worker for a project instead of an older, more experienced employee may be guilty of ageism. Other forms of this prejudice are more subtle, like patronizing elderly people by treating them like children, or calling them "sweetheart." Ageism was coined in 1969, modeled on racism.
Vocabulary lists containing ageism
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Caterpillar Summer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This latter scale has been published as a standardized Everyday Ageism Scale that any researcher can use.
From Science Daily • Feb. 29, 2024
Author and activist Ashton Applewhite, who wrote the book "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism," unambiguously characterized the obsession with Biden's age as rooted in prejudice.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2022
Ageism pops up in campaigns even when opposing candidates are both old themselves; witness Trump’s references to “Sleepy Joe” in 2020 and Biden’s characterization of Trump as “mentally deranged.”
From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2022
Earlier this month, Porizkova told StyleLikeU’s Defying Ageism video series that she struggled with depression, anxiety and anger following Ocasek’s death.
From Fox News • Nov. 30, 2021
Ageism has real consequences medically, economically, socially, psychologically and politically.
From Washington Post • Apr. 19, 2019
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
