octogenarian
ok-tuh-juh-NAIR-ee-un
/ˌɒktədʒəˈnɛəriən/
A person who is between 80 and 89 years old.
A precise term for a specific decade of life. It sounds more respectful and formal than 'someone in their eighties'.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'octoginta' (eighty) + the suffix '-arian' (indicating a person of a certain type or age).
Commonly confused with
- centenarian: A centenarian is 100 years old or more.
Collocations
- active octogenarian
- octogenarian author
- octogenarian population
Example sentences
- "The octogenarian marathon runner completed the race to thunderous applause." Journalism
- "The octogenarian writer still produced a book a year, claiming work kept him young." Literature
Memory hook
Octo- like an octopus (8 legs) for the 80s. 80-something.
When not to use
Don't use it for someone who is 79 or 90; use 'septuagenarian' or 'nonagenarian' instead.
Fun facts
- Clint Eastwood became an octogenarian in 2010 and continued to direct major films well into his nineties.
Explore more words
veneration, boomer, genteel, ancestor, illustrious, forebear
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