centenarian

noun

cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsen-tə-ˈner-ē-ən 

-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

Believe in something By the end of 2023, Buettner had interviewed 263 centenarians in his lifetime. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2024

In the private message, the King congratulated Carter on becoming the first former president to become a centenarian. —Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024

Catering to social connections is also a value of centenarians in blue zones. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2024

In all, 15 centenarians reside at the Stanton assisted living facility, ranging in age from 100 to 107. —Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

centenarian

noun

cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsent-ᵊn-ˈer-ē-ən 

: a person 100 years old or older

centenarian adjective