What does ageism mean?
Ageism is prejudice or discrimination directed at people because of their age, and it is used most often to describe unfair treatment of older adults. Coined by American gerontologist Robert Butler in the late 1960s, the term quickly entered mainstream vocabulary alongside words like racism and sexism, with which it shares both structure and social significance. Ageism appears in contexts ranging from workplace hiring and promotion decisions to media representation, healthcare access, and everyday assumptions about what people of a certain age can or cannot do. It carries a strongly negative connotation, as it names an unjust bias rather than a neutral observation about age. Related forms include the adjective 'ageist', describing attitudes or practices marked by such prejudice. Laws in many countries, including the UK's Equality Act and the US Age Discrimination in Employment Act, explicitly address ageism in employment. The word remains central to debates about aging populations and fairness across generations.
nounPrejudice or discrimination against people on the basis of their age, especially against older people.
- Discrimination or unfair treatment of people because of their age, most often directed at older adults.
- Stereotyping or prejudiced attitudes about people of a particular age group.
"She suspected ageism was behind the company's refusal to interview candidates over fifty."
"Campaigners argue that ageism remains deeply embedded in hiring practices across the tech industry."
"The film industry has long been accused of ageism for casting older actresses in far fewer roles than their male counterparts."
Rarely pluralized; when it is, the plural refers to distinct instances or varieties of age-based prejudice.
"The report catalogued the many ageisms still present in advertising."
The word 'ageism' was coined in 1969 by gerontologist Robert Butler — making it one of the youngest '-isms' in the English language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ageism
The word 'ageism' was coined in 1969 by American gerontologist Robert N. Butler, who founded the National Institute on Aging and won a Pulitzer Prize for his work on aging. He formed it by analogy with 'racism' and 'sexism', combining 'age' with the suffix '-ism' to name discrimination based on age. Its siblings — racism, sexism, classism, ableism — all share this same productive English pattern of attaching '-ism' to a basis of social prejudice.
Related word forms
How ageism is actually used
A relatively formal but widely understood term, common in journalism, employment law, and social policy. While it can refer to bias against any age group (including the young), it is overwhelmingly used for discrimination against older people. The adjective form is 'ageist'.
Easily confused with ageism
Ageism is prejudice based on age, while a gerontocracy is a society or organization actually ruled by its oldest members.