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
Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Many diehard longevity seekers are going so far as to plan their travel around the world’s blue zones—five regions across the globe that are known for high numbers of centenarians.
—Mary Honkus, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
The two-packs-of-cigarettes-a-day centenarian is a real phenomenon.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
These areas have the highest proportions of centenarians and lower rates of diseases like cancer, diabetes and dementia.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for centenarian
Cite this Entry
“Centenarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centenarian. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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centenarian
noun
