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sexagenary: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Very low
UK/sɛkˈsædʒɪnəri/US/sɛkˈsædʒəˌnɛri/

Formal, historical, academic

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Quick answer

What does “sexagenary” mean?

Relating to the number sixty, or a period of sixty years.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

Relating to the number sixty, or a period of sixty years.

Pertaining to a person in their sixties (sixty to sixty-nine years old). Also used specifically for a system of counting based on sixty, notably the Chinese sexagenary cycle used in traditional calendars and timekeeping.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both variants.

Connotations

Conveys a sense of historical or technical precision.

Frequency

Extremely low frequency in both dialects, found almost exclusively in specialized texts.

Grammar

How to Use “sexagenary” in a Sentence

[be] sexagenarythe sexagenary [system/cycle][based on/using] a sexagenary [count/calculation]

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
sexagenary cyclesexagenary system
medium
sexagenary arithmeticsexagenary periodsexagenary calendar
weak
sexagenary computationsexagenary year

Examples

Examples of “sexagenary” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

  • The traditional Chinese calendar employs a sexagenary counting system.
  • He was studying sexagenary cycles for his dissertation.

American English

  • The sexagenary system is foundational to understanding ancient Chinese chronology.
  • A sexagenary period marks a complete cycle in the traditional calendar.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Virtually never used.

Academic

Used in historical studies, sinology, mathematics (history of), and chronology.

Everyday

Never used in everyday conversation.

Technical

Used in specific technical descriptions of historical calendrical systems.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “sexagenary”

Neutral

based on sixtysixty-year

Weak

hexacontadic

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “sexagenary”

decimaldenary

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “sexagenary”

  • Using it to mean 'elderly' in a general sense. It specifically relates to sixty.
  • Misspelling as 'sexagenarian' when referring to the system, not the person.
  • Pronouncing the 'sex-' as /sɛks/ instead of /sɛk/.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. 'Sexagenarian' is a noun for a person aged 60–69. 'Sexagenary' is an adjective meaning 'relating to the number sixty' or a sixty-year period, most famously the Chinese cycle.

It is pronounced /sek-SA-jin-uh-ree/ (UK) or /sek-SA-juh-ner-ee/ (US). The first syllable sounds like 'sec' (as in second), not 'sex'.

Almost never in daily life. It is a highly specialised term used almost exclusively in academic contexts discussing historical Chinese, Babylonian, or other systems based on sixty.

It is the Chinese cyclical system of 60 terms, combining 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches, used for recording years, months, and days in traditional calendars and historiography.

Relating to the number sixty, or a period of sixty years.

Sexagenary is usually formal, historical, academic in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “The sexagenary cycle (a specific Chinese historical/astrological cycle).”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of SEX (six) + AGENARY (like 'centenary' for 100, but for sixty). It's related to sixty.

Conceptual Metaphor

TIME IS A CYCLE (as in the recurring sixty-year cycle). NUMBER SYSTEMS ARE STRUCTURES.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The traditional East Asian calendar is famously based on a repeating cycle of sixty years.
Multiple Choice

In which field is the term 'sexagenary' most likely to be encountered?

sexagenary: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore