ageist

[ey-jist]

adjective

1. relating to, involving, or fostering discrimination against persons of a certain age group.

   This ageist narrative about the shortcomings of contemporary youngsters has become widely accepted, but it is useful to remember that every cohort has faced the same prejudice when they were young.

2. showing or suggesting a belief that older people are debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment.

   The movie provides a window into the diverse lives of older LGBTQ adults, trampling common ageist stereotypes and showing viewers that there is no singular LGBTQ elder story.

noun

1. someone who discriminates against persons of a certain age group, especially older people.

   As young global citizens and digital natives, we're here to prove ageists and Luddites wrong.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ageist¹

age ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Example Sentences

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he hit back at criticism about his lack of life and professional experience – labelling those turning their noses up at his appointment as "ageist" and "not relevant".

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Hur was hammered by Democratic critics who called him cruel and ageist.

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However, the Commons report highlights evidence that ageist stereotyping is still highly prevalent across all media in the UK, including "portrayals of older people as frail, helpless or incompetent, or conversely as wealth-hoarding 'boomers'".

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“I think the difficulty there would be drawing the line between what is ageist and what is really fair,” Tan said.

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Stokes said he couldn't answer the question without sounding "ageist" and admitted that all who remain in the squad are in contention for the Ashes tour.

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