Ageist

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪ̯.dʒɪst/

Definitions

1. Prejudice directed towards individuals because of their age can manifest in various forms of discrimination
2. This term encompasses attitudes or actions that favor or disadvantage particular age groups, commonly affecting younger or older people
3. Discrimination or bias against individuals based on their age reflects attitudes that can result in unfair treatment of both younger and older generations

Etymology: "Ageist" is one of those words whose parts are both old but whose combination is recent. The first element, "age," comes from Old French "eage," which descended from the Latin "aetaticum," a word built on "aetas," meaning a lifetime or period of life. English took "age" in the Middle Ages, long before anyone thought to attach it to anything else. The second element, "-ist," has a longer and more varied pedigree. It arrived in English through Latin "-ista," which came from the Greek "-istēs," used to form nouns for people who practise or believe in something, as in "dentist" or "socialist." Through Old French it reached Middle English, and speakers have been attaching it to nouns ever since, so "ageist" simply means someone or something that holds a particular view about age. The compound itself is a modern formation. Its appearance in English is much more recent than its parts, and it was built on the same pattern as older words like "racist" and "sexist," showing how readily English reuses a familiar suffix whenever a new prejudice needs a name.

Synonyms: discriminatory, biased

Antonyms: inclusive, accepting