Table of Contents
Definition of Primary Aging
(noun) The type of aging caused by gradual and inevitable biological factors such as cellular and molecular changes.
Examples of Primary Aging
- decrease in vision over time.
- wear and tear on joints.
Primary Aging Pronunciation
Syllabification: pri·mar·y ag·ing
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /prIE-mair-ee AY-jing/
- British English – /prIE-muh-ree AY-jing/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈpraɪˌmɛri ˈeɪʤɪŋ/
- British English – /ˈpraɪməri ˈeɪʤɪŋ/
Usage Notes
- Plural: primary agings
- The act or process of aging is called senescence.
- Primary aging is contrasted to secondary aging.
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 “primary” and “aging” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Atchley, Robert C. 1971. “Retirement and Leisure Participation: Continuity or Crisis?” The Gerontologist 11(1):13–17. doi:10.1093/geront/11.1_part_1.13.
- Atchley, Robert C. 1989. “A Continuity Theory of Normal Aging.” The Gerontologist 29(2):183–90. doi:10.1093/geront/29.2.183.
Related Terms
- activity theory
- ageism
- aging
- gerontology
- gerotranscendence
- hospice
- life expectancy
- secondary aging
- senescence
- social gerontology
- thanatology
Cite the Definition of Primary Aging
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “primary aging.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-aging/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
primary aging. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-aging/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “primary aging.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-aging/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“primary aging.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 17 Sep. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-aging/>.