Not “Senior”

At one of my ASA sessions last week—How Ageism Hides in Our Words—attendees were asking about “senior.” They’d heard “we shouldn’t use it,” but didn’t know the background. Here’s where that recommendation comes from …

“Senior” is a euphemism developed to avoid saying “old” or “older.” Like any euphemism, it suggests that the words it replaces (and therefore, the characteristics) are terrible. Unspeakable.

It’s also unspecific, so it’s no improvement over “older adult.” But most importantly, research shows that people associate “senior” with low competency. (“Senior citizen” rates even worse.)

“Older adult” rates highest on the competency scale.

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