octogenarian

noun

oc·​to·​ge·​nar·​i·​an ˌäk-tə-jə-ˈner-ē-ən 

: a person whose age is in the eighties

The octogenarian uses a cane for walking.

octogenarian adjective

Examples of octogenarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That showdown between a septuagenarian and an octogenarian, however, was still able to outdraw Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen in the AFC Divisional Round (50.3 million). —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2024

Idle and the surviving Pythons—Chapman died in 1989, Jones in 2020—are now beloved octogenarians, the closest thing comedy has to living deities. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2024

Some people lose fluid intelligence at a young age, whereas some octogenarians are still mentally sharp enough to hold office and be wise judges. —Ezekiel J. Emanuel, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024

It’s been a rough month for octogenarians committed to staying onstage in the U.S. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin octogenarius containing eighty, from octogeni eighty each, from octoginta eighty, from octo eight + -ginta (akin to viginti twenty) — more at vigesimal

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

octogenarian

noun

oc·​to·​ge·​nar·​i·​an ˌäk-tə-jə-ˈner-ē-ən 

: a person whose age is between 80 and 89

Medical Definition

octogenarian

noun

oc·​to·​ge·​nar·​i·​an ˌäk-tə-jə-ˈner-ē-ən 

: a person whose age is in the eighties

octogenarian adjective