English

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Etymology

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From Latin septuagenarius (containing 70) + -an (suffix forming adjectives and representative nouns), either directly or via French septuagénaire, from Latin septuagenus (70 each) + -arius (-ary), from Latin septuāginta (seven tens, 70).

Pronunciation

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  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌsɛptəd͡ʒɪˈnɛɹiən/, /ˌsɛptəwəd͡ʒɪˈnɛɹiən/, /ˌsɛpt͡ʃəd͡ʒɪˈnɛɹiən/, /ˌsɛpt͡ʃəwəd͡ʒɪˈnɛɹiən/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌsɛptjʊəd͡ʒɪˈnɛəɹɪən/, /ˌsɛptʃəd͡ʒɪˈnɛəɹɪən/, /ˌsɛptʃʊəd͡ʒɪˈnɛəɹɪən/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

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septuagenarian (plural septuagenarians)

  1. Synonym of seventysomething: a person between 70 and 79 years old.
    • 2010, Philip Carr-Gomm, Richard Heygate, The Book of English Magic:
      For a ley hunter, local people – particularly the elderly – can be mines of information. Devereux and Thomson recount how they asked a septuagenarian in a remote village the location of an elusive stone, without mentioning the subject of leys: []
    • 1994, “New Age Girl”, in A Different Story, performed by Deadeye Dick:
      Mary Moon, she's a vegetarian.
      Mary Moon, Mary Moon, Mary Moon.
      Mary Moon, who will outlive all the septuagenarians.

Adjective

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septuagenarian (not comparable)

  1. Of or related to seventysomethings.
    Coordinate terms: vicenarian, tricenarian, quadragenarian, quinquagenarian, semicentenarian, hexagenarian, sexagenarian, octogenarian, nonagenarian, centenarian, supercentenarian

Synonyms

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Translations

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References

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