sesquicentennial

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The 150th anniversary of an event, or the celebration held for it.

   Grammar: Usually with the: the sesquicentennial of the town.

   Patterns

   • the sesquicentennial of something

   The city held fireworks to mark its sesquicentennial.

   The university published a book for its sesquicentennial.

   Residents dressed in old clothes for the sesquicentennial.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to a period of one hundred and fifty years, or to its anniversary.

   Grammar: Comes before a noun: sesquicentennial celebration.

   Patterns

   • sesquicentennial celebration

   A sesquicentennial parade filled the main street.

   The museum opened a sesquicentennial exhibit.

   The state issued a sesquicentennial coin.

Word forms

Common combinations

sesquicentennial celebration

The sesquicentennial celebration lasted a week.

sesquicentennial year

This is the sesquicentennial year of the railway.

mark the sesquicentennial

Events will mark the sesquicentennial.

sesquicentennial anniversary

The college's sesquicentennial anniversary is in May.

sesquicentennial commemoration

A sesquicentennial commemoration took place at the battlefield.

Synonyms and how they differ

150th anniversary

150th anniversary is the plain phrase, while sesquicentennial is a single formal word.

jubilee

Jubilee is a general celebration, often 50 years, while sesquicentennial is specifically 150.

sesquicentenary

Sesquicentenary is the more British form of the same word.

Word family

centennial noun

a 100th anniversary

bicentennial noun

a 200th anniversary

sesquicentenary noun

British form of sesquicentennial

quincentennial noun

a 500th anniversary

Commonly confused: sesquicentennial or centennial? sesquicentennial or bicentennial?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sesquicentennial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words