What does presbyopia mean?
Presbyopia is the gradual, age-related decline in an eye's ability to focus on nearby objects. As the eye's focusing system becomes less flexible, close-up tasks such as reading, sewing, or using a phone may appear blurred, while distant objects often remain clear. The condition is especially common after the age of forty and is usually managed with reading glasses, bifocal or multifocal lenses, or contact lenses. Presbyopia is distinct from myopia, or nearsightedness, which involves difficulty seeing distant objects clearly, and from hyperopia, which is a broader term for farsightedness. Although presbyopia is a normal consequence of aging, sudden changes in vision should be assessed by an eye-care professional because other conditions can produce similar symptoms.
nounPresbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye's ability to focus on nearby objects, typically making close-up vision blurred while distant vision remains relatively clear. It is a common condition associated with the natural weakening of the eye's focusing ability with age.
- The age-related impairment of near vision caused by reduced accommodative capacity of the eye.
"Reading glasses helped her address the presbyopia that had made small print difficult to read."
"At forty-five, he began to hold menus at arm's length because of presbyopia."
"The optician recommended reading glasses for his presbyopia and a separate prescription for distance vision."
The plural is grammatically correct but uncommon; discussions normally use the singular because the condition is described for an individual patient.
"The clinic provides a range of lenses designed for presbyopias."
Presbyopia is the reason many people who can see a distant sign clearly suddenly need glasses to read a book.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does presbyopia come from?
The word comes from New Latin presbyopia, formed from Greek presbys, meaning “old” or “elder,” and ops, meaning “eye” or “sight.” The underlying idea is literally the sight of an old person, reflecting the condition's association with aging. Greek presbys also underlies related English words such as presbyter, presbytery, and Presbyterian.
Related word forms
How presbyopia is actually used
The term is primarily medical and technical, though it is widely understood in optometry and general health contexts. It usually refers to a normal age-related change, but its symptoms can resemble other focusing disorders, so an eye examination may be needed for diagnosis. In ordinary usage, people often say that they are developing farsightedness rather than explicitly using the technical term.
Easily confused with presbyopia
Presbyopia is age-related difficulty focusing on close objects, whereas myopia is difficulty focusing on distant objects and may develop at any age.
Hyperopia is the general condition of farsightedness, while presbyopia specifically refers to age-related loss of near-focusing ability.