quinceañera

or quin·ce·a·ne·ra

[ keens-ah-nyair-uh ]

noun

1. (among Hispanics in Latin America and the U.S.) a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday, marking her transition from childhood to maturity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of quinceañera¹

First recorded in 1970–75; from Spanish, feminine of quinceañero “fifteen-year-old,” from quince “fifteen” (from Latin quīndecim ) + año “year” (from Latin annus ) + -ero adjective suffix (from Latin -ārius )

Example Sentences

Ordaz was turning 40, her oldest was graduating high school, her youngest would be celebrating her quinceañera.

From Washington Post