Advertisement

Advertisement

nonagenarian

[ non-uh-juh-nair-ee-uhn, noh-nuh- ]

adjective

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


noun

  1. a nonagenarian person.

nonagenarian

/ ˌnəʊnədʒɪˈnɛərɪən /

noun

  1. a person who is from 90 to 99 years old
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or denoting a nonagenarian
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonagenarian1

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonagenarian1

C19: from Latin nōnāgēnārius, from nōnāginta ninety
Discover More

Example Sentences

Even today, after having been vaccinated, I regard it as the best mode of travel for a nonagenarian.

A few years back, they got paroled and went to Mountain View to tend to their nonagenarian mother.

From Vox

Many a young man of to-day has done more and felt more than a peaceful, stationary nonagenarian of yesterday's rural life.

Biographical sketches of every Tennessee nonagenarian and centenarian Negro.

It is not hard to understand the feeling, never less called for than it was in the case of that beloved nonagenarian.

In that year died the nonagenarian Antonius Stradivarius, the greatest violin-maker the world has ever seen.

I received a postal card the other day from Clay, who is now a nonagenarian, in his armed castle in Kentucky.

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Nonagenarian

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!

Where does nonagenarian come from?

The first records of the word nonagenarian come from around 1800. It comes from the Latin word nōnāgēnāri(us), meaning “containing ninety,” from nōnāginta, “ninety.” The suffix -an is used to indicate a person (as seen in common words like pedestrian and historian).

It’s more common to refer to someone as a 90-year-old or describe them as in their 90s or 90-something than to call them a nonagenarian. But nonagenarian is used as a fancy or fun way of referring to someone of that age, including by nonagenarians who apply it to themselves. As much fun as it is to say, it’s perhaps more often used in writing. It’s often used in the context of highlighting a person who’s doing something that may be surprising for their age, as in That nonagenarian marathon runner is amazing.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for nonagenarian?

  • 90-year-old
  • ninety-year-old
  • 90-something
  • ninety-something

What are some words that share a root or word element with nonagenarian

What are some words that often get used in discussing nonagenarian?

How is nonagenarian used in real life?

Nonagenarian is often used to be fancy or funny when referring to 90-somethings.

 

 

Try using nonagenarian!

Is nonagenarian used correctly in the following sentence?

I can’t believe I’m nearing my nonagenarian years—40 seems like yesterday.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


nonagenonaggression