decade

noun

de·​cade ˈde-ˌkād How to pronounce decade (audio)
de-ˈkād;
 especially sense 1b  ˈde-kəd
1
: a group or set of 10
his prisoners were divided into decadesWilliam Godwin
: such as
a
: a period of 10 years
has been teaching for over a decade
the decade of the twenties
b
Roman Catholicism : a division of the rosary that consists primarily of 10 Hail Marys
2
mathematics : a ratio of 10 to 1 : order of magnitude
decadal adjective

Examples of decade in a Sentence

The war lasted nearly a decade. The bridge was built a decade ago. The decade of the 1920s runs from January 1, 1920 to December 31, 1929. the first decade of the 21st century There have been a lot of changes during the past two decades.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Except that was Joplin, someone who’s live-fast-burn-bright-die-young life and times had already been picked over for decades. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025 Marlee Matlin has counted Henry Winkler as a close friend for decades, as a new documentary about the Oscar-winning actress attests. Jack Smart, People.com, 25 Jan. 2025 According to our friends at Southern Living, despite the onion boil’s recent popularity, the concept of baked onions has been around down South for decades. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025 Seagle’s last stop was the towering Moreton Bay fig that had shaded the property for decades. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for decade 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French décade, from Late Latin decad-, decas, from Greek dekad-, dekas, from deka — see deca-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decade was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near decade

Cite this Entry

“Decade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

decade

noun
de·​cade ˈdek-ˌād How to pronounce decade (audio)
-əd;
de-ˈkād;
 sense 3 is usually  ˈdek-əd
1
: a group or set of 10
2
: a period of 10 years
3
: a part of the rosary made up mainly of 10 Hail Marys

More from Merriam-Webster on decade

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