Dictionary

sestercentenary en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌsɛstəˌsɛnˈtiːnəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-ˌs(ə)n-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-ˈtɛn-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɛstəɹˈsɛntəˌnɛɹi/ (General-American)
• /ˌsɛstəˌsɛnˈtiːnɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɛstəɹˌsɛnˈtɛnəɹi/ (General-American)

Etymology

First attested in the 1980s; blend of sesterce (a two and a half coin) + centenary, or from Latin sēster(tius) + centenary.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, rare) Of or relating to a 250th anniversary, or to a span of 250 years.
   • 1982 saw the sestercentenary commemoration of George Washington’s birth.
   • To [James] Cook the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was markedly more recent than the arrival of the Endeavour is to us in this sestercentenary year. 2020, Angus Trumble, On Endeavour in Australian Waters, National Museum of Australia, archived from the original on 20 Mar 2022:

Relateds

sestercentennial

Synonyms

semiquincentennial

sestercentenary en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌsɛstəˌsɛnˈtiːnəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-ˌs(ə)n-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-ˈtɛn-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɛstəɹˈsɛntəˌnɛɹi/ (General-American)
• /ˌsɛstəˌsɛnˈtiːnɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɛstəɹˌsɛnˈtɛnəɹi/ (General-American)

Etymology

First attested in the 1980s; blend of sesterce (a two and a half coin) + centenary, or from Latin sēster(tius) + centenary.

Meanings

1. (rare) A 250th anniversary.
   • It's a splendid description of our Chapel building, which this year marked its sestercentenary. 2019, Mark Smith, Chapel Report, Clare College, Cambridge, archived from the original on 05 Jul 2024:
   • The city of New York celebrated its sestercentenary in 1903.
   • [T]he Ottawa Citizen noted, "It's been 250 years to the day since the appearance of Samuel Johnson's celebrated first dictionary of English." And it was not just the sestercentenary, to use a good dictionary word, that prompted these declarations. […] But the legend is entirely without foundation. There were plenty of dictionaries before 1755. 2009, Jack [John T.] Lynch, “Enchaining Syllables, Lashing the Wind: Samuel Johnson Lays down the Law”, in The Lexicographer’s Dilemma: The Evolution of “Proper” English, from Shakespeare to South Park, New York, N.Y.: Walker Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 72:
   • [T]he Report of the 3rd BOC Priestley Conference, 'Oxygen and the Conversion of Future Feedstocks', RSC, 1984, has 9 historical papers relating to the [Joseph] Priestley sestercentenary in 1983. 1985, C[olin] A[rchibald] Russell, “Introduction”, in C. A. Russell, editor, Recent Developments in the History of Chemistry, London: Royal Society of Chemistry, →ISBN, footnote 5, page 3:
   • […] Mr [Donald] Trump evoked some of the wonders the United States might achieve by the time of its sestercentenary in this week's speech to Congress: "American footprints on distant worlds," he said, "are not too big a dream." 2017 March 4, “Fly who to the Moon?”, in The Economist, volume 422, number 9030, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 64, column 2:

Forms

Synonyms

semiquincentennial