quincentennial

noun

quin·​centen·​ni·​al ˌkwin-sen-ˈte-nē-əl 

: a 500th anniversary or its celebration

called also quincentenary

quincentennial adjective

Did you know?

The United States is such a young country that it will be quite some time before we reach our quincentennial as a nation: 2276 A.D., to be exact. Some American cities will celebrate their quincentennials long before that, but even St. Augustine, Florida, the nation's oldest city, will have to wait until 2065. Meanwhile, many young people can look forward happily to our national tricentennial in 2076; and their grandchildren may be around for our quadricentennial in 2176.

Examples of quincentennial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By law, a time capsule is to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, not to be opened until 2276, in time for America's quincentennial. —David Morgan, CBS News, 11 June 2026

As Guam, the Philippines, Spain and even Portugal celebrate and question the quincentennial, the explorer’s legacy remains as complicated as ever. —Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, 19 Sep. 2019

Then, the painting will return to the Salle des États in time for a landmark exhibition celebrating the quincentennial of da Vinci’s death. —Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Latin quinque five + English centennial

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quincentennial

• biennial
• centennial
• decennial
• millennial
• perennial
• quadrennial
• quinquennial
• triennial
• bicentennial
• sesquicentennial