centenarian
noun
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
Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, lower levels of glucose (the amount of sugar in your blood) could mean better metabolic profiles in centenarians.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 31 Oct. 2023
The diet of Blue Zone centenarians consists largely of legumes, like black beans, azuki beans, soybeans, lentils, and broad beans, while meat is consumed only five times a month.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024
In the last three decades alone, the U.S. centenarian population has nearly tripled.
—Sheila Callaham, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Alonzo, Smith and the rest of the centenarian crew all like to be on-the-go and be out and about, according to staff.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
The centenarian is known in Sunnyvale for having an active lifestyle and generous heart for helping others.
—Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
The Cilento is also renowned for its robust Mediterranean cooking and for having a high percentage of centenarians.
—Catherine Sabino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Queen Mary of Denmark Laughs Off a Hair Mishap with Daughter Princess Isabella
The stationery suite for King Frederik’s birthday card to the centenarian in Northern Jutland also included his new royal monogram.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'centenarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
1747, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Centenarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centenarian. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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centenarian
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