supercentenarian

American  

[soo-per-sen-tn-air-ee-uhn] / ˌsu pərˌsɛn tnˈɛər i ən /

noun

1. a person who has reached the age of 110.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or having lived 110 years.

Etymology

Origin of supercentenarian

First recorded in 1830–40; super- ( def. ) + centenarian ( def. )

Explanation

Is your great grandfather 112 years old? If so, he's a supercentenarian, a person who has been alive for more than 110 years. You don't see supercentenarian as much as you see the word it's based on, centenarian, "person who's 100 or older." That's probably because it's extremely rare for anyone to live beyond the age of 110. There may be as many as 150 supercentenarians worldwide, although some experts are dubious that this many people are really as elderly as they claim to be. The word derives from the Latin centum, "hundred," and the prefix super-, "beyond."

Example Sentences

The “Vanishing Point” producer died Aug. 16 in Wimbledon three days after his birthday, the European Supercentenarian Organisation reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024

An account of what Mr. Clement calls the Supercentenarian Research Project offers a glimpse at what that might entail, including perseverance, compassion and a sense of humor that trends toward dark.

From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2017

Robert Young, director of the Gerontology Research Group's Supercentenarian Research and Database Division, said Talley's death came as a surprise as she lived an active lifestyle.

From Reuters • Jun. 18, 2015