octogenarian
Americanadjective
-
of the age of 80 years.
-
between 80 and 90 years old.
noun
noun
adjective
Usage
What does octogenarian mean? An octogenarian is someone in their 80s (80 to 89 years old), or someone who is 80 years old. Octogenarian can also be used as an adjective to describe someone in their 80s, as in Our audience is mostly made up of octogenarian women, or things related to such a person, as in I have entered my octogenarian 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), and nonagenarian (90s). Such words are more commonly used as people get older: quadragenarian and quinquagenarian are rarely used, but septuagenarian and octogenarian are more commonly used. Another less common word for octogenarian is octogenary. Example: Today is my last day as an octogenarian—tomorrow I begin my 90s!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of octogenarian
1805–15; < Latin octōgēnāri ( us ) comprising eighty, eighty years old (equivalent to octōgēn ( ī ) eighty each + -ārius -ary ) + -an
Explanation
Someone who's octogenarian is older than 80 and younger than 90. If your great-aunt is 84, she's an octogenarian. You can use this word as an adjective or a noun for anyone who is in their eighties. Many octogenarians are grandparents. While one octogenarian might live in an assisted living residence and use a wheelchair, plenty of octogenarian folks drive their own cars and live in houses or apartments. Just like teenagers or thirty-somethings, octogenarians don't necessarily have much in common with each other aside from their age.
Vocabulary lists containing octogenarian
Power Suffix: -arian
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though The Rolling Stones used cutting-edge tech to de-age themselves for a recent music video, the octogenarian rockers aren’t too keen on artificial intelligence.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
“I don’t predict,” the octogenarian Nobel Prize winner quickly texted back, “so the price is always right.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
He said his octogenarian mother used to like going to three a week for the food.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
The octogenarian oysterman is a Wellfleeter of the oldest stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
He sipped his coffee as delicately as a debutante, as slowly as an octogenarian.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
