sexagenary

English

Etymology

From Latin sexāgēnārius (“sixty; sixty years old; a sixty-year-old”) either directly or via French sexagénaire, from Latin sexāgēnus (“60 each”), from sexaginta (“six tens, sixty”). Cognate with sexagenarian.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌsɛksəˈd͡ʒɛnəɹi/, /sɛkˈsæd͡ʒəˌnɛɹi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌsɛksəˈd͡ʒiːnɹi/, /ˌsɛksəˈd͡ʒiːnəɹi/, /ˌsɛksəˈd͡ʒɛnɹi/, /ˌsɛksəˈd͡ʒɛnəɹi/, /sɛkˈsæd͡ʒɪnɹi/, /sɛkˈsæd͡ʒɪnəɹi/

Adjective

sexagenary (not comparable)

1. Of or related to the number sixty, particularly:

   Coordinate terms: unary, binary, ternary, trinary, tetranary, quintenary, hexanary, septenary, octonary, nonary, decenary, vicenary, tricenary, quadragenary, quinquagenary, semicentenary, septuagenary, octogenary, nonagenary, centenary, millenary

   1. Containing sixty years.

      The sexagenary cycle is formed by combining the twelve earthly branches representing the years of Jupiter's orbital cycle and the ten heavenly stems of the Shang-era week, stopping halfway through to reflect the pairing of yin and yang terms.

   2. (now rare) Synonym of sexagenarian: lasting or aged sixty years; sixty-year-old.
   3. (mathematics, astronomy, now rare) Synonym of sexagesimal: base-60.

Noun

sexagenary (plural sexagenaries)

1. (mathematics, astronomy, now rare) Synonym of sexagesimal: base-60 numeration.
2. (now rare) Synonym of sexagenarian: a sixty-year-old.

References

• “sexagenary, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.