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definitions

bicentennial

[ bahy-sen-ten-ee-uh l ]
/ ˌbaɪ sɛnˈtɛn i əl /
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adjective

pertaining to or in honor of a 200th anniversary: bicentennial celebration; a bicentennial exposition.
consisting of or lasting 200 years: a bicentennial period.
occurring every 200 years: the bicentennial return of a comet.

noun

a 200th anniversary: The United States had its bicentennial in 1976.
a celebration of such an anniversary.

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Nearby words

  1. bice,
  2. bice blue,
  3. bice green,
  4. bicellular,
  5. bicentenary,
  6. bicentric,
  7. bicep,
  8. bicephalous,
  9. biceps,
  10. biceps brachii
Also especially British, bicentenary.

Origin of bicentennial

First recorded in 1880–85; bi-1 + centennial
Related formsbi·cen·ten·ni·al·ly, adverb

Usage note

See bi-1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bicentennial

Word Origin and History for bicentennial

bicentennial

also bi-centennial, 1843 (adj.), 1871 (noun), American English, from bi- + centennial (q.v.). In rivalry with bicentenary (1831) which seems to have been the more common word in Britain.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper