What is the official term for America250, the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence?

America250’s 250th anniversary is officially called the United States Semiquincentennial.

The word combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. Together, they describe half of a millennium, or 250 years. The commemoration marks the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The term is less familiar than “bicentennial,” which described the 200th anniversary celebrated in 1976. Other names sometimes associated with the 250th anniversary include sestercentennial, bisesquicentennial, and quarter millennium, but semiquincentennial is the principal official term used for the national commemoration.

America250 is also the branding used by the United States Semiquincentennial Commission and its nonprofit partners. The anniversary date is July 4, 2026, exactly 250 years after the Declaration was adopted.