What term names a 250th anniversary, including the United States celebration in 2026?
Answer
Semiquincentennial
A 250th anniversary is called a semiquincentennial, including the United States celebration in 2026.
The word combines elements meaning half and five hundred, producing the idea of half of 500 years. It is less familiar than bicentennial, which means a 200th anniversary, but it is the formal name used for the 2026 national observance.
Other labels have appeared in historical and reference usage, including sestercentennial, quarter millennium, bisesquicentennial, and bicenquinquagenary. These alternatives are uncommon, so “United States Semiquincentennial” is the standard official-style name.
America250 is the shorter campaign identity associated with the anniversary. The number 250 also appears in commemorative programs, coins, exhibitions, and educational initiatives.