What term names a 250th anniversary, including America’s 250th anniversary?
Answer
Semiquincentennial
The term for America’s 250th anniversary is semiquincentennial.
The word combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. It therefore describes an anniversary halfway to five centuries, or 250 years.
The United States’ 250th anniversary is also known as the United States Semiquincentennial and is promoted nationally under the name America250. The observance follows the 1976 United States Bicentennial, which marked 200 years since independence.
The terminology can be confusing because anniversary names are not always used consistently. A centennial is 100 years, a sesquicentennial is 150 years, a bicentennial is 200 years, and a tricentennial is 300 years. “Semiquincentennial” is the precise 250-year term used for the 2026 observance.