gerontophobia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/ Very LowFormal, Academic, Psychological/Clinical
Quick answer
What does “gerontophobia” mean?
A strong, irrational fear or hatred of old age or elderly people.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A strong, irrational fear or hatred of old age or elderly people.
A societal prejudice or discrimination against older adults, often manifesting as avoidance, stereotyping, or institutional policies that disadvantage the elderly.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage; it is a specialist term in both varieties.
Connotations
Clinical and sociological connotations are identical. Implies a pathological or systemic issue rather than a casual preference.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general corpora, slightly higher in academic/sociological texts.
Grammar
How to Use “gerontophobia” in a Sentence
N/A (Noun)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gerontophobia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The gerontophobic policies of the company were criticised.
American English
- His gerontophobic attitudes became apparent during the meeting.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used in HR/diversity training to describe a specific form of workplace discrimination.
Academic
Primary context. Used in sociology, psychology, and gerontology papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used. The concept is expressed with simpler terms.
Technical
Used in clinical psychology to denote a specific phobia, and in social sciences to analyze age-related prejudice.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gerontophobia”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gerontophobia”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gerontophobia”
- Misspelling as 'geronophobia' (missing 't').
- Confusing it with 'necrophobia' (fear of death/corpses).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related. 'Ageism' is the broader, more common term for prejudice based on age, which can target both young and old. 'Gerontophobia' is a more specific, clinical term for an intense fear or irrational aversion focused specifically on old age or the elderly.
Yes. While it often refers to fear/aversion directed at other elderly people, it can also manifest as a deep-seated dread of one's own aging process.
No, it is a low-frequency, specialist term. In everyday conversation, people would say 'fear of aging' or 'prejudice against old people'.
Gerontophilia, which denotes a strong attraction to or preference for elderly people, though this term is also very rare and carries potential clinical connotations.
A strong, irrational fear or hatred of old age or elderly people.
Gerontophobia is usually formal, academic, psychological/clinical in register.
Gerontophobia: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdʒɛrɒntə(ʊ)ˈfəʊbɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /dʒəˌrɑːntəˈfoʊbiə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'GERONTO' (like 'geriatric' = old) + 'PHOBIA' (fear). It's the fear of the geriatric/elderly.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGING IS A DISEASE / THE ELDERLY ARE A THREAT
Practice
Quiz
What is the closest common-language synonym for 'gerontophobia'?