gerontology
Americannoun
noun
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The large number of aging “baby boomers” has increased both the profile and importance of this specialty.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gerontology
Explanation
Doctors and researchers who study the process of human aging call their field gerontology. There is a slight difference between gerontology and geriatrics, which is the the branch of medicine that focuses on the health and ailments of elderly people. Gerontology overlaps with geriatrics, but it is more specifically the science of the aging process as well as the physical and psychological issues that people deal with as they get older. The word gerontology comes from a Greek root, gerōn, or "old man."
Vocabulary lists containing gerontology
National Nurses Week: Medical Branches and Conditions
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This Week In Culture: February 8–14, 2020
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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.
Susan Enguidanos, an associate professor of gerontology at USC, researches and teaches end-of-life care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
“I think the developers need to find much more budget-friendly models,” said Julie Brown, an Ohio University associate professor of gerontology who teaches courses on the business of aging.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026
Prejudice against older adults is nothing new, but “it feels more intense, more hostile” now than previously, said Karl Pillemer, 69, a professor of psychology and gerontology at Cornell University.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
An international team of cognitive researchers led by Margaret Gatz, a professor of psychology, gerontology and preventive medicine at the USC Leonard Davis School, found among older Tsimane people, only about 1% suffer from dementia.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 31, 2024
Charles Vincent, a completely authenticated case of premature aging, one of the most clear-cut in all gerontology.
From The Six Fingers of Time by Lafferty, R. A.
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.
