Table of Contents
Definition of Gerontology
(noun) The study of the aging process (senescence), specifically the biological, psychological, and social issues that impact the elderly.
Gerontology Pronunciation
Syllabification: ger·on·tol·o·gy
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /jair-uhn-tAHl-uh-jee/
- British English – /je-ron-tOl-uh-jee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˌdʒɛrənˈtɑlədʒi/
- British English – /ˌdʒɛrn̩ˈtɒlədʒi/
Usage Notes
- Geriatrics and gerontology are often used interchangeably, but geriatrics refers specifically to the health and wellness of older individuals and gerontology studies the aging process (senescence) in a broader sense.
- A (noun) gerontologist studies (adjective) gerontological issues.
Related Videos
Additional Information
- Aging and Social Gerontology Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Death and Dying Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “gerontology” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
Related Terms
- activity theory
- ageism
- continuity theory
- disengagement theory
- hospice
- life expectancy
- primary aging
- role exit
- secondary aging
- social gerontology
- thanatology
Works Consulted
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 5th ed. 2011. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Clarke, Alan. 2010. The Sociology of Healthcare. 2nd ed. Harlow, England: Longman.
Collins English Dictionary: Complete and Unabridged. 6th ed. 2003. Glasgow, Scotland: Collins.
Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.
Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Kornblum, William. 2008. Sociology in a Changing World. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.
Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Turner, Bryan S., ed. 2006. The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Cite the Definition of Gerontology
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “gerontology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/gerontology/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
gerontology. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/gerontology/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “gerontology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/gerontology/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“gerontology.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/gerontology/>.