ageism

noun

age·​ism ˈā-(ˌ)ji-zəm How to pronounce ageism (audio)
variants or less commonly agism
: prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly
ageist adjective
or less commonly agist

Examples of ageism in a Sentence

He accused his former employer of ageism when he lost his job to a younger man.
Recent Examples on the Web The cryptic effort was a constant grind on the McCain team, which openly accused Obama’s orbit of ageism. Philip Elliott, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024 Often overshadowing their achievements, ageism and sexism cast doubts on their abilities and diminish the influence of women in this age group. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024 Casar noted that although actors also face ageism, attitudes are evolving. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 17 Sep. 2024 Of course, the report shows that people of all ages experience ageism in the workplace. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ageism 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ageism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

age entry 1 + -ism (as in racism)

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ageism was in 1969

Dictionary Entries Near ageism

Cite this Entry

“Ageism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ageism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

ageism

noun
age·​ism ˈā-(ˌ)jiz-əm How to pronounce ageism (audio)
: prejudice or discrimination against people of a particular age and especially against the elderly
ageist
-jist
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on ageism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!