What is the standard name for America250, the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence?

America250, the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, is formally known as the United States Semiquincentennial.

The word semiquincentennial refers to a 250th anniversary. “Semi” means half, while “quincentennial” relates to 500 years, so the combined term describes half of a millennium. It is a less familiar word than centennial or bicentennial, which can make it easy to overlook.

Other names have also appeared in discussions of the anniversary, including bisesquicentennial, sestercentennial, and quarter millennium. America250 is the shorter public-facing brand used for the commemoration.

The observance follows the United States Bicentennial in 1976 and precedes the nation’s Tricentennial in 2076. These labels identify anniversaries by the number of years since the event being commemorated.