octogenarian

[ok-tuh-juh-nair-ee-uhn]

adjective

1. of the age of 80 years.

2. between 80 and 90 years old.

noun

1. a person who is between 80 and 90 years old.

octogenarian

/ ˌɒktəʊdʒɪˈnɛərɪən, ɒkˈtɒdʒɪnərɪ /

noun

1. a person who is from 80 to 89 years old

adjective

1. of or relating to an octogenarian

Other Word Forms

• octogenarianism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of octogenarian¹

1805–15; < Latin octōgēnāri ( us ) comprising eighty, eighty years old (equivalent to octōgēn ( ī ) eighty each + -ārius -ary ) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of octogenarian¹

C19: from Latin octōgēnārius containing eighty, from octōgēnī eighty each

Example Sentences

There are four candidates up against the octogenarian:

Read more on BBC

“It’s fair to say the political appetite for octogenarians is not high,” said Eric Jaye, a veteran Democratic strategist in San Francisco.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In Orange County, it happened so fast that 30-year-old natives can natter on like octogenarians about the great old days of riding bikes through the orange groves.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The future is obviously much shorter when you’re an octogenarian, but Townshend, 80, and Daltrey, 81, are still managing to send a few mixed messages about the farewell this time around.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The 2024 presidential election was a contest in which the octogenarian incumbent had to drop out, but his 60-year-old replacement lost to a late septuagenarian.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

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!