centenarian

noun

cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsen-tə-ˈner-ē-ən 

-ˈne-rē-

: one that is 100 years old or older

centenarian adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The Health and Welfare Ministry statistics released Tuesday show Japan now has 107,677 centenarians, up 7,914 from the previous year and exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

The population of centenarians rose again – for the 56th consecutive year – to 107,677 in September, up almost 8,000 from the previous year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Tuesday. — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Keesing, 102, and her late husband originally built the house for about $3,080, according to the centenarian. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026

This ancient city a few hundred miles northwest of Shanghai is known for a couple of things – bonsai and centenarians. — New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for centenarian

• agrarian
• aquarian
• barbarian
• bavarian
• bulgarian
• cimmerian
• hungarian
• librarian
• ovarian
• riparian
• rotarian
• sectarian

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Kids Definition

centenarian

noun

cen·​te·​nar·​i·​an ˌsent-ᵊn-ˈer-ē-ən 

: a person 100 years old or older

centenarian adjective