gerontocracy

noun

ger·​on·​toc·​ra·​cy ˌjer-ən-ˈtä-krə-sē How to pronounce gerontocracy (audio)
plural gerontocracies
: rule by elders
specifically : a form of social organization in which a group of old men or a council of elders dominates or exercises control
gerontocrat noun
gerontocratic adjective

Examples of gerontocracy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tech oligarchs, the gerontocracy, podcasters spouting misinformation and the erosion of civil liberties all blur into a muddy soup that’s adjacent to relevancy without ever achieving it. Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025 Others liken the United States to the Soviet Union in its final years—a brittle gerontocracy rotting from within. Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 This is the classic institutional drama that plays out in a gerontocracy. Cassidy Creech, The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2025 The gerontocracy has shed 82-year-old Joe Biden, 84-year-old Nancy Pelosi, and 82-year-old Mitch McConnell from leadership. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 13 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gerontocracy

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French gérontocratie, from géronto- geronto- + -cratie -cracy

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gerontocracy was in 1830

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Cite this Entry

“Gerontocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerontocracy. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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