ageism
noun
age·ism
ˈā-(ˌ)ji-zəm 
variants
or less commonly agism
: prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly
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
These women buck ageism by promoting sexiness and grabbing your second or third chance.
—
Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2023
The survey shed light on how ageism is a driving force behind the silence around menopause in the office.
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 Sep. 2023
Here's everything to know about her modeling career, her advocacy against ageism and her perspective on raising a billionaire entrepreneur.
—Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023
If things have marginally improved for women in film and music, ageism is still rife.
—Olivia Marks, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023
Even when you’re fully loaded with so much talent, you could still be overlooked because of stereotypes and ageism.
—Jeff Nelson, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023
According to a 2020 University of Michigan national poll on healthy aging, women make up a large cohort of the 40% of adults who report sometimes or often experiencing three or more forms of ageism every day, including ageist messaging and interpersonal reactions.
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 Sep. 2023
Some of these issues are complicated by fragmented authority at federal, state and local levels, but ageism plays a role.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023
The 1950 film raised the spectre of ageism in Hollywood.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2023
See More
Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2023
The survey shed light on how ageism is a driving force behind the silence around menopause in the office.
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 Sep. 2023
Here's everything to know about her modeling career, her advocacy against ageism and her perspective on raising a billionaire entrepreneur.
—Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023
If things have marginally improved for women in film and music, ageism is still rife.
—Olivia Marks, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023
Even when you’re fully loaded with so much talent, you could still be overlooked because of stereotypes and ageism.
—Jeff Nelson, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023
According to a 2020 University of Michigan national poll on healthy aging, women make up a large cohort of the 40% of adults who report sometimes or often experiencing three or more forms of ageism every day, including ageist messaging and interpersonal reactions.
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 Sep. 2023
Some of these issues are complicated by fragmented authority at federal, state and local levels, but ageism plays a role.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023
The 1950 film raised the spectre of ageism in Hollywood.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2023
See More
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
Dictionary Entries Near ageism
Cite this Entry
“Ageism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ageism. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
ageism
noun
age·ism
ˈā-(ˌ)jiz-əm
: prejudice or discrimination against people of a particular age and especially against the elderly
ageist
adjective
-jist
More from Merriam-Webster on ageism
Britannica English: Translation of ageism for Arabic Speakers
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