septuagenarian

[ sep-choo-uh-juh-nair-ee-uhn, -too-, -tyoo- ]

adjective

1. of the age of 70 years or between 70 and 80 years old.

noun

1. a septuagenarian person.

septuagenarian

/ ˌsɛptjʊədʒɪˈnɛərɪən /

noun

1. a person who is from 70 to 79 years old

adjective

1. being between 70 and 79 years old
2. of or relating to a septuagenarian

Word History and Origins

Origin of septuagenarian¹

1705–15; < Latin septuāgēnāri ( us ) ( septuagenary ) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of septuagenarian¹

C18: from Latin septuāgēnārius, from septuāgēnī seventy each, from septuāgintā seventy

Example Sentences

All these septuagenarian actors are still working, with years of experience and shelves of awards among them, at the top of their game — even if the people they play are not.

From Los Angeles Times

The septuagenarian student said people now were not "as judgmental" as they had been in the past, adding: "You don't get put in a compartment so much."

From BBC

But by the next day when there was still no word, Perez was worried enough to call the Fontana Police Department and report the septuagenarian as missing.

From Los Angeles Times

The sale, announced last week, caps an impressive career by Ng, a scrappy, diminutive septuagenarian who used her bootstrapped community newspapers “to empower the Asian American community” as she put it this week.

From Seattle Times

The too-obvious question with any show anchored by septuagenarians is, “Will this season be the last?”

From Los Angeles Times

More About Septuagenarian

What does septuagenarian mean?

A septuagenarian is someone in their 70s (70 to 79 years old), or someone who is 70 years old.

Septuagenarian can also be used as an adjective to describe someone in their 70s, as in Our audience is mostly made up of septuagenarian women, or things related to such a person, as in I have entered my septuagenarian 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), octogenarian (80s), 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 word for septuagenarian is septuagenary.

Example: Today is my last day as a septuagenarian—tomorrow I begin my 80s!

Where does septuagenarian come from?

The word septuagenarian comes from the Latin word septuāgēnārius, from septuāgēnī, meaning “seventy each,” from septuāgintā, “seventy.” 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 70-year-old or describe them as in their 70s or 70-something than to call them a septuagenarian. But septuagenarian is used as a fancy or fun way of referring to someone of that age, including by septuagenarians 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 septuagenarian yoga instructor is way more flexible than I am.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for septuagenarian?

• septuagenary
• 70-year-old
• seventy-year-old
• 70-something
• seventy-something

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

• Septuagint
• Septuagesima
• quadragenarian
• quinquagenarian
• sexagenarian
• octogenarian
• nonagenarian
• centenarian

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

• seventy
• age
• year
• old
• decade
• life
• birthday
• milestone

How is septuagenarian used in real life?

Septuagenarian is often used to be fancy or funny when referring to 70-somethings.

Septuagenarian endurance phenom Gene Dykes shares the secrets to running a 2:54 marathon at age 70. https://t.co/Z9K4ZTYI09

— PodiumRunner (@PodiumRunner) June 16, 2020

My septuagenarian lawyer mother discovered youtube and the tone of her texts is like a seventh grader who just heard The Doors for the first time.

— Taffeta V. (@TaffetaV) July 22, 2020

Former septuagenarian boss called me to explain to him how iCloud works and how can we free up his iPhone storage. Took us 1 hour just to cover the iCloud and another one on copy-pasting pictures from iPhone to desktop. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I love him but this is too much. 😂😭

— Clint Bondat (@makinanimoniko) July 16, 2020

 

 

Try using septuagenarian!

Is septuagenarian used correctly in the following sentence?

Most of my fondest memories have come from my septuagenarian years.