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

Specifically, Book 1 of Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” which reaches its tricentennial this year.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 8, 2022

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

From Washington Times ● Jun. 14, 2018

In a city on the verge of celebrating its tricentennial, this was not that long ago.

From New York Times ● May 24, 2017