centenarian

noun

cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsen-tə-ˈner-ē-ən How to pronounce centenarian (audio)
-ˈne-rē-
: one that is 100 years old or older
centenarian adjective

Did you know?

We can't say there are exactly 100 English words based on the Latin root centum, meaning "hundred," but there are certainly dozens. "Centenarian" isn't the oldest one; it only dates from the late 1700s. Far older is "centurion" (an ancient Roman military officer), which has been around since the 13th century. A younger "centum" offspring is "centisecond," a rare term for 1/100 of a second that dates from the 1950s. From colorful words such as "centicipitous" (which means "100-headed") to practical ones like "centgener" ("a device for planting 100 seeds"), "centum" descendants have enlivened our language for centuries.

Examples of centenarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The path to becoming a healthy centenarian — as opposed to just a centenarian — is surprisingly different for those born as women and men, says social researcher and author Maddy Dychtwald. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024 Three other centenarians live at the senior complex, but Carla and Jack are the only married couple, Rivera said. Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for centenarian 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'centenarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of centenarian was in 1747

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Dictionary Entries Near centenarian

Cite this Entry

“Centenarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centenarian. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

centenarian

noun
cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsent-ᵊn-ˈer-ē-ən How to pronounce centenarian (audio)
: a person 100 years old or older
centenarian adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on centenarian

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