bicentennial
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or in honor of a 200th anniversary.
bicentennial celebration; a bicentennial exposition.
-
consisting of or lasting 200 years.
a bicentennial period.
-
occurring every 200 years.
the bicentennial return of a comet.
noun
-
a 200th anniversary.
The United States had its bicentennial in 1976.
-
a celebration of such an anniversary.
Commonly Confused
See bi- 1.
Other Word Forms
- bicentennially adverb
Etymology
Origin of bicentennial
First recorded in 1880–85; bi- 1 + centennial
Explanation
The two-hundredth anniversary of something is its bicentennial. In 1976, the United States celebrated its bicentennial, two hundred years after adopting the Declaration of Independence. The word bicentennial adds the prefix bi-, or "two," to centennial, which is rooted in the Latin centum, or "one hundred." The U.S. is a relatively young country, so we've only celebrated a few bicentennials, including the two-hundredth birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. You can use this word as an adjective too: "Next year is the bicentennial anniversary of our ancestors' arrival in North America."
Vocabulary lists containing bicentennial
Perfect Ten: Dec, Cent, Mille
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dec, cent, mille
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ann, enn
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fifty years ago, at America’s bicentennial, Martin Diamond, a political scientist, celebrated our founding as “the revolution of sober expectations.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
"But the country moved forward, celebrated its bicentennial, and moved beyond its violent divides. It will do so again."
From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025
But its history, however contested, is a powerful reminder that this flag that’s now as ubiquitous in June as the U.S. flag during the bicentennial started out as a thoroughly DIY art experiment.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2024
In March, In Our DNA SC research coordinators collected more than 30 DNA samples at a bicentennial event in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where more than 60% of residents identify as Black.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2024
He picked out a bicentennial quarter and handed it to Rufus.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
