Meanings
plural tricennals
- obsoleteChristianitySynonym of trental, set of 30 requiem masses, the payment for such services.
Your forefathers sawe somwhat, whiche made this constitution, against the venalitie and sale of Masses, that vnder peine of suspending, no priest shuld sell his sayinge of tricennals, or annals.
1537, H. Latimer, Sermon to Clergie, E2Synonyms: trental, set of 30 requiem masses
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of trental, set of 30 requiem masses, the payment for such services.
Origin
- Latintrīcennālis“tricennial”
- Medieval Latintrīcennāle
- Englishtricennal
From mistaken use of Medieval Latin trīcennāle, neuter substantive of Latin trīcennālis (“tricennial”), from trīcennium (“30-year period”) + -ālis (“-al: forming adjectives”), from trīcennis (“30-year”) + -ium (“-ium: forming abstract nouns”), from trīciēs (“30 times”) + annus (“year”) + -is (“forming compound adjectives”). Doublet of tricennial.
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin
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Cite this entry
tricennal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricennal
“tricennal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricennal. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tricennal,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricennal.
Source: tricennal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.