geriarchy means rule by the elderly. It carries an Arena rating of 1437, earned across 24 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, geriarchy ranks #825 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,541 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #3,883 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #4,180 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
Why “geriarchy” is a great word
GERIARCHY — [Noun] Rule by the elderly, or a society or organization governed in this way. From Ancient Greek γέρων (gérōn, "old man") + -archy ("rule"). Unlike "patriarchy" (which denotes rule by men or fathers) or "gerontocracy" (its more common synonym), geriarchy is a rarer, more specialized term for dominion defined solely by advanced age. It is the unyielding creak of old leather armchairs in a boardroom, the rustle of a pension fund report taking precedence over a startup proposal, and the quiet consensus that mistakes the map of the past for the territory of the present—a governance where time itself is the sole and final credential.
Etymology
Ancient Greek γέρων (gérōn, “old man”) + -archy.
noun
- Rule by the elderly.
- A society or organization so ruled.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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