nonagenarian
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English
Etymology
From Latin nōnāgēnārius (“containing ninety”) + -an (“forming adjectives and representative nouns”), either directly or via French nonagénaire, from nōnāgēnī (“ninety each”) + -ārius (“-ary”), from nōnāginta (“nine tens, ninety”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈˌnɑnəd͡ʒɪˈnɛriən/, /ˈˌnoʊnəd͡ʒɪˈnɛriən/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌnɒnəd͡ʒɪˈnɛːrɪən/, /ˌnəʊnəd͡ʒɪˈnɛːrɪən/
Noun
nonagenarian (plural nonagenarians)
Adjective
nonagenarian (not comparable)
- Of or related to ninetysomethings.
- Coordinate terms: vicenarian, tricenarian, quadragenarian, quinquagenarian, semicentenarian, hexagenarian, sexagenarian, septuagenarian, octogenarian, centenarian, semisupercentenarian, supercentenarian
- 1954, Alben W. Barkley, editor, That Reminds Me, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 17:
- "But what’s that got to do with your health and longevity?" the neighbor inquired.
"Why," said the nonagenarian, "I've spent most of my life in the open air."
Translations
References
- “nonagenarian, n. and adj.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2022.
