(ˌseptʃuːˈædʒəˌneri, -tuː-, -tjuː-, esp Brit -tʃuːəˈdʒinəri)
adjective or nounWord forms: plural-naries
septuagenarian
Word origin
[1595–1605; ‹ L septuāgēnārius, equiv. to septuāgēn(ī) seventy each (distributive of septuāgintā seventy) + -ārius-ary]This word is first recorded in the period 1595–1605. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: density, exposure, option, slur, vernacular-ary is a suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Classical and Medieval Latin,on adjectives (elementary; honorary; stationary; tributary), personal nouns (actuary; notary; secretary), or nouns denoting objects, esp. receptacles or places (library; rosary; glossary). The suffix has the general sense “pertaining to, connected with” the referent namedby the base; it is productive in English, sometimes with the additional senses “contributingto,” “for the purpose of,” and usually forming adjectives. Other words that use theaffix -ary include: complimentary, inflationary, revolutionary, visionary