bicentennial

American  

[bahy-sen-ten-ee-uhl] / ˌbaɪ sɛnˈtɛn i əl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or in honor of a 200th anniversary.

   bicentennial celebration; a bicentennial exposition.

2. consisting of or lasting 200 years.

   a bicentennial period.

3. occurring every 200 years.

   the bicentennial return of a comet.

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noun

1. a 200th anniversary.

   The United States had its bicentennial in 1976.

2. a celebration of such an anniversary.

Commonly Confused

See bi- ¹.

Other Word Forms

• bicentennially adverb

Etymology

Origin of bicentennial

First recorded in 1880–85; bi- ¹ + centennial

Example Sentences

These were, of course, the same events we celebrated during the bicentennial in 1976, but with a striking difference.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

"But the country moved forward, celebrated its bicentennial, and moved beyond its violent divides. It will do so again."

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

The journalist Bill McKibben, whose father was arrested that day, later raised the flag at the bicentennial in 1975.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2025

The Great America branding, both for the Santa Clara park and its Midwestern counterpart, was a nod to their opening dates: 1976, the nation’s bicentennial.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2025

Recently, Mom picked up a Jim Nabors album of patriotic songs in honor of the bicentennial.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García