What does septuagenary mean?
Septuagenary describes a person who has reached seventy but has not yet turned eighty, or anything associated with people of that age. It can function as an adjective, as in a septuagenarian athlete, or as a noun for someone in the seventy-to-seventy-nine age range. The expression has a neutral meaning but is less common in ordinary conversation than phrases such as in their seventies. It is especially likely to appear in demographic, medical, historical, or biographical contexts, where the exact age range conveyed by the word is useful. The term belongs to the same numerical family as septuagenarian, the more familiar noun for a person in this decade of life, and ultimately derives from Latin terminology for seventy.
Having reached seventy years of age; belonging to the age group from seventy to seventy-nine.
"The septuagenarian musician returned to the stage after a decade-long retirement."
Formal and relatively uncommon; in everyday usage, in their seventies is often more natural.
A person between seventy and seventy-nine years old.
"Each septuagenary received a commemorative copy of the anniversary publication."
Less common than the synonymous and more familiar noun septuagenarian.
Used when referring to more than one person in the seventy-to-seventy-nine age range.
"Several septuagenaries volunteered to mentor local students."
Turning seventy marks entry into the septuagenarian decade: seventy is the beginning, while seventy-nine remains the final year.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does septuagenary come from?
The word comes through French from the Latin septuagenarius, meaning “seventy-year-old” or “belonging to the seventies.” Latin septuaginta meant “seventy” and was formed from septem, “seven,” together with the multiplicative element -ginta, as in viginti, “twenty.” The same numerical root underlies cognates including septuagenarian, septuagesimal, septenary, and septuplicate.
Related word forms
How septuagenary is actually used
The word is formal and relatively uncommon in everyday speech, where a person of this age is more often described as being in their seventies. As a noun, it is less usual than the more familiar septuagenarian.
Easily confused with septuagenary
A septuagenary is someone aged seventy to seventy-nine, whereas the more familiar noun septuagenarian is used specifically for such a person.
Septuagenary refers to the age of seventy, while septenary refers to a group or arrangement of seven.