What term names America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration of U.S. independence?

America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration of U.S. independence is called the Semiquincentennial.

The word combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” relating to 500 years. Together, it describes half of a millennium, or 250 years. The term is used for the national commemoration centered on July 4, 2026.

Other labels have appeared, including sestercentennial, quarter millennium, and bisesquicentennial. However, Semiquincentennial is the official and most widely used name for the 2026 observance. “Bicentennial” refers specifically to the 200th anniversary celebrated in 1976, while “sesquicentennial” means 150 years.

America250 is the name associated with the congressional, nonpartisan organization coordinating much of the commemoration. The anniversary commemorates the Declaration of Independence and the founding-era events surrounding it.