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Gerontocracy: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Gerontocracy noun. Rule by old people, or a group or society in which the eldest hold the power.
How to say it
jerr-un-TOK-ruh-see/ˌdʒɛrənˈtɒkrəsi/
5 syllables, stressed on the third (TOK).
Gerontocracy in a sentence
The rowing club was a gerontocracy; nobody under seventy had sat on its committee since 1988.
Young voters grumbled about a gerontocracy that would not live with the results of its decisions.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- rule of elders
- oligarchy
Where gerontocracy comes from
From Greek gerōn, gerontos, an old man, and kratos, power.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Young voters grumbled about a _____ that would not live with the results of its decisions.
- propaganda
- gerontocracy
- regime
Show the answer
gerontocracy: Young voters grumbled about a gerontocracy that would not live with the results of its decisions.