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octogenarian
[ ok-tuh-juh-nair-ee-uhn ]
adjective
- of the age of 80 years.
- between 80 and 90 years old.
noun
- a person who is between 80 and 90 years old.
octogenarian
/ ˌɒktəʊdʒɪˈnɛərɪən; ɒkˈtɒdʒɪnərɪ /
noun
- a person who is from 80 to 89 years old
adjective
- of or relating to an octogenarian
Other Words From
- octo·ge·nari·an·ism noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of octogenarian1
Word History and Origins
Origin of octogenarian1
Example Sentences
These days, there doesn’t seem to be a single thing we don’t know about Kim Kardashian West, and even an octogenarian actress like Jane Fonda can go viral with a self-deprecating morning-after photo that illustrates the magic of makeup.
Sarah and I bought a house six years ago—the biggest purchase of our lives—from a wonderfully eccentric octogenarian named Lydia.
For every octogenarian operator like Pelosi or Bernie Sanders, there are others whose obvious fragility poses a genuine threat to the balance of power in Washington.
The Palestinian Authority, led by octogenarian Mahmoud Abbas, controls the West Bank but has seen its legitimacy before ordinary Palestinians wane in recent years as it is thought to have accomplished little through its more peaceful approach.
It took me 20 minutes over Zoom to help an octogenarian set up his pass, though it was certainly simpler than mastering vaccine-appointment websites.
In The Lay of the Land, Frank met with a failing octogenarian friend and visited a funeral home—and regretted both.
The octogenarian Congressman is facing a tough primary against younger opponents.
Today, the octogenarian still rules his self-proclaimed micro-nation alongside his wife, Rina.
Edwin Edwards is an octogenarian ex-con and reality television star who brags that Viagra is made from his blood.
If an octogenarian novelist can surprise in January, it could be a happy new year for fiction.
His visitor flushed at this, so strange was it to receive a lesson in energy from a dying octogenarian.
Whereupon an octogenarian official approached the door of the box with his shiny, peaked, blue cloth cap in his hand.
Having made some such reference to it, the sexton Baker, an inquisitive octogenarian, wanted to know what the Holy Grail was.
The late seventies shrink from night air, even when one means to be a healthy octogenarian.
The total figures out to about 375,000 specific names, all of which were critically considered by the octogenarian editor!
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More About Octogenarian
What does octogenarian mean?
An octogenarian is someone in their 80s (80 to 89 years old), or someone who is 80 years old.
Octogenarian can also be used as an adjective to describe someone in their 80s, as in Our audience is mostly made up of octogenarian women, or things related to such a person, as in I have entered my octogenarian years.
It’s one of several similar terms used to refer to a person of a certain age, including quadragenarian (40s), quinquagenarian (50s), sexagenarian (60s), septuagenarian (70s), and nonagenarian (90s).
Such words are more commonly used as people get older: quadragenarian and quinquagenarian are rarely used, but septuagenarian and octogenarian are more commonly used.
Another less common word for octogenarian is octogenary.
Example: Today is my last day as an octogenarian—tomorrow I begin my 90s!
Where does octogenarian come from?
The word octogenarian comes from the Latin word octōgēnāri(us), meaning “containing eighty” or “eighty years old,” from octōgēn(ī), meaning “eighty each.” The suffix -an is used to indicate a person (as seen in common words like pedestrian and historian).
It’s more common to refer to someone as a 80-year-old or describe them as in their 80s or 80-something than to call them an octogenarian. But octogenarian is used as a fancy or fun way of referring to someone of that age, including by octogenarians who apply it to themselves. As much fun as it is to say, it’s perhaps more often used in writing. It’s often used in the context of highlighting a person who’s doing something that may be surprising for their age, as in My octogenarian yoga instructor is way more flexible than I am.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to octogenarian?
- octogenarianism (noun)
What are some synonyms for octogenarian?
- octogenary
- 80-year-old
- eighty-year-old
- 80-something
- eighty-something
What are some words that share a root or word element with octogenarian?
What are some words that often get used in discussing octogenarian?
How is octogenarian used in real life?
Octogenarian is often used to be fancy or funny when referring to 80-somethings.
The journey of 20 years from sexagenarian to octogenarian 😌😍 pic.twitter.com/vPP9w3TsXY
— Dadi Chandro Tomar (@realshooterdadi) December 10, 2019
Yesterday was Little Freddie King's 80th birthday! Today from 2-4pm on WWOZ, @AndrewGrafe will be honoring the newly minted octogenarian on 'Blues Eclectic.' Listen in at 90.7 FM, locally, or https://t.co/659B3JbIlL, worldwide. pic.twitter.com/BXM3E6Ex2y
— WWOZ 90.7 FM (@wwoz_neworleans) July 20, 2020
The octogenarian couple is giving cool kids and hipsters a run for their money. ❤️https://t.co/aeOJ0FRCZ0
— Yahoo Singapore (@YahooSG) July 23, 2020
Try using octogenarian!
Is octogenarian used correctly in the following sentence?
I can’t believe I’m nearing my octogenarian years—40 seems like yesterday.
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