What is the standard term for the United States’ 250th anniversary?

The standard term for the United States’ 250th anniversary is semiquincentennial.

The word combines Latin-derived numerical elements: “semi-” means half, while “quincentennial” relates to 500 years. Half of 500 is 250, so a semiquincentennial marks two and a half centuries. The term is used for the 2026 anniversary of American independence.

Several alternative names exist. Sestercentennial and quarter millennium both describe a 250-year milestone, while bisesquicentennial is another technically constructed term. America250 is the shorter public-facing name used for the national commemoration.

The word is often mixed up with bicentennial, which means a 200th anniversary. The United States celebrated its Bicentennial in 1976, two centuries after the Declaration of Independence. Its next major 100-year milestone after 2026 will be the Tricentennial in 2076.