nonagenarian

American  

[non-uh-juh-nair-ee-uhn, noh-nuh-] / ˌnɒn ə dʒəˈnɛər i ən, ˌnoʊ nə- /

adjective

1. of the age of 90 years, or between 90 and 100 years old.

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noun

1. a nonagenarian person.

nonagenarian British  

/ ˌnəʊnədʒɪˈnɛərɪən /

noun

1. a person who is from 90 to 99 years old

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a nonagenarian

Usage

What does nonagenarian mean? A nonagenarian is someone in their 90s (90 to 99 years old), or someone who is 90 years old.Nonagenarian can also be used as an adjective to describe someone in their 90s, as in Our audience is mostly made up of nonagenarian women, or things related to such a person, as in I have entered my nonagenarian years. It’s one of several similar terms used to refer to a person of a certain age, including quadragenarian (40s), quinquagenarian (50s), sexagenarian (60s), septuagenarian (70s), octogenarian (80s), and centenarian (100 or older).Example: Today is my last day as a nonagenarian—tomorrow I turn 100!

Etymology

Origin of nonagenarian

1795–1805; < Latin nōnāgēnāri ( us ) containing ninety, consisting of ninety ( nōnāgēn ( ī ) ninety each + -ārius -ary ) + -an

Example Sentences

The study’s authors examined results from about 4,000 brain scans taken from people in the U.S. and U.K., ranging from a newborn baby to a nonagenarian.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her nonagenarian parents lived a few blocks away, in a house they owned for more than 50 years.

From Los Angeles Times

He revved up his real-estate activities, working with a young neighbor to place big, long-term wagers, unusual for a nonagenarian.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their coalition scored a historic victory in 2018, but the alliance began to unravel as the nonagenarian kept shifting the goalposts for handing over power.

From BBC

The nonagenarian yogi has been teaching there for 28 years and his class — which takes place every morning except Sunday — is typically packed.

From Los Angeles Times