tricentennial

American  

[trahy-sen-ten-ee-uhl] / ˌtraɪ sɛnˈtɛn i əl /

Also tercentennial.

adjective

1. pertaining to 300 years or a period of 300 years.

2. marking the completion of such a period.

   a tricentennial celebration.

---

noun

1. a 300th anniversary or its celebration.

Etymology

Origin of tricentennial

First recorded in 1880–85; tri- + centennial

Explanation

A tricentennial is a 300-year anniversary. If something has been around for a whole 300 years, it's probably worth talking about. The prefix tri- means "three," and the root cent means "hundred." Add the suffix -ennial, derived from the Latin annus, meaning "year," and you get tricentennial: literally, "three hundred years." You'll usually see this word when people are discussing the anniversary of the founding of countries or other important institutions. Don't confuse it with triennial, a "three-year anniversary." A tricentennial celebration is definitely going to be a bigger deal than a triennial one.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tricentennial

Then our children and grandchildren can go on and write about the upcoming tricentennial, and what we must do to make it to 350.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

In 2018, the Times-Picayune cited it multiple times in a series of articles commemorating the city’s tricentennial.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2022

Perhaps he was curious about all the fuss the city is making for the tricentennial, with special art exhibits, celebratory cocktails and festive signage on buses, lamp posts and lawns.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2018

Then they leave for San Antonio, Texas - another former Spanish colony celebrating its tricentennial.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 14, 2018

The tricentennial has kicked off several major infrastructure improvements, including a remodeling of popular Bourbon Street, which hasn’t been done since 1928, and a new airport terminal that is due in 2019.

From New York Times ● Jan. 11, 2018