Advertisement

Advertisement

nonagenarian

[ non-uh-juh-nair-ee-uhn, noh-nuh- ]

adjective

  1. of the age of 90 years, or between 90 and 100 years old.


noun

  1. a nonagenarian person.

nonagenarian

/ ˌnəʊnədʒɪˈnɛərɪən /

noun

  1. a person who is from 90 to 99 years old
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or denoting a nonagenarian
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonagenarian1

1795–1805; < Latin nōnāgēnāri ( us ) containing ninety, consisting of ninety ( nōnāgēn ( ī ) ninety each + -ārius -ary ) + -an
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonagenarian1

C19: from Latin nōnāgēnārius, from nōnāginta ninety
Discover More

Example Sentences

“Thelma” playfully sprinkles “Mission: Impossible”-style action set pieces into the story, appropriately scaled to a nonagenarian’s abilities.

For President Biden, marking the 90th anniversary of D-Day in France is an opportunity to be commander in chief and statesman while hailing the nonagenarian American veterans who liberated Europe from Nazi Germany.

Describing her journey, the nonagenarian said she had fallen twice and was forced to stop to rest at some points, even sleeping along the way before waking up and continuing her journey.

With a nonagenarian incumbent, the race was inherently about generational change.

A prickly cabdriver gains perspective thanks to a chatty nonagenarian.

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Nonagenarian

What does nonagenarian mean?

A nonagenarian is someone in their 90s (90 to 99 years old), or someone who is 90 years old.

Nonagenarian can also be used as an adjective to describe someone in their 90s, as in Our audience is mostly made up of nonagenarian women, or things related to such a person, as in I have entered my nonagenarian 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), octogenarian (80s), and centenarian (100 or older).

Example: Today is my last day as a nonagenarian—tomorrow I turn 100!

Where does nonagenarian come from?

The first records of the word nonagenarian come from around 1800. It comes from the Latin word nōnāgēnāri(us), meaning “containing ninety,” from nōnāginta, “ninety.” 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 90-year-old or describe them as in their 90s or 90-something than to call them a nonagenarian. But nonagenarian is used as a fancy or fun way of referring to someone of that age, including by nonagenarians 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 That nonagenarian marathon runner is amazing.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for nonagenarian?

  • 90-year-old
  • ninety-year-old
  • 90-something
  • ninety-something

What are some words that share a root or word element with nonagenarian

What are some words that often get used in discussing nonagenarian?

How is nonagenarian used in real life?

Nonagenarian is often used to be fancy or funny when referring to 90-somethings.

 

 

Try using nonagenarian!

Is nonagenarian used correctly in the following sentence?

I can’t believe I’m nearing my nonagenarian years—40 seems like yesterday.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


nonagenonaggression