The word gerontophilia was coined in 1901 by psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing. It comes from Greek: geron, meaning "old person" and -fili, which you can read about on the cover of this encyclopedia.
Gerontophilia is defined as a sexual predilection for older people. It is typically used to describe a sexual preference of adults in their later years of life and can be classified as a fetish. People with gerontophilia may have an interest in older partners because of their perceived sophistication, experience, and wisdom.
Gerontophiles may feel attracted to partners with whom they can experience older age in a relationship. They also feel romantically attracted to the idea of living life all over again – only this time with an experienced partner instead of by trial and error on their own.
