This paper addresses the absence of the term ‘senescence’ in recent social science literature on ageing. The significance of this omission is considered in light of the emerging standpoint of gero-science, which argues that the central processes defining ageing are concerned with the rising probability of functional decline, development of degenerative disease and death. From this perspective, the separation of ageing and senescence sustains the myth that there exist forms of ageing that are exempt from senescence. The persistence of this myth underlies ageing studies, the sociology of later life and most social gerontology. While there have been undoubted benefits arising from this bracketing out of senescence, the argument of this paper is that the continuing advances associated with this standpoint are outweighed by the need to seriously engage with the consequences of contemporary societal ageing and the centrality of the processes of senescence in establishing an adequate understanding of ageing, its correlates and contingencies and its personal and social consequences. •Senescence as a concept is missing from the social science literature on ageing•Separating ageing from senescence suggests that forms of ageing exist exempt from senescence•Gero-science sees ageing and senescence alike as processes underlying decline, disease and death•Recognising the social structuring of later life is important•Bracketing senescence out of social gerontology risks evacuating ageing of substantive meaning