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⇱ BICENTENNIAL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com


bicentennial

American  
[bahy-sen-ten-ee-uhl] / ˌbaɪ sɛnˈtɛn i əl /

adjective

  1. pertaining to or in honor of a 200th anniversary.

    bicentennial celebration; a bicentennial exposition.

  2. consisting of or lasting 200 years.

    a bicentennial period.

  3. occurring every 200 years.

    the bicentennial return of a comet.


noun

  1. a 200th anniversary.

    The United States had its bicentennial in 1976.

  2. a celebration of such an anniversary.

Commonly Confused

See bi- 1.

Other Word Forms

  • bicentennially adverb

Etymology

Origin of bicentennial

First recorded in 1880–85; bi- 1 + centennial

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These were, of course, the same events we celebrated during the bicentennial in 1976, but with a striking difference.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

"But the country moved forward, celebrated its bicentennial, and moved beyond its violent divides. It will do so again."

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

But its history, however contested, is a powerful reminder that this flag that’s now as ubiquitous in June as the U.S. flag during the bicentennial started out as a thoroughly DIY art experiment.

From Slate • Jun. 19, 2024

In March, In Our DNA SC research coordinators collected more than 30 DNA samples at a bicentennial event in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where more than 60% of residents identify as Black.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2024

He picked out a bicentennial quarter and handed it to Rufus.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.