twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē  ˈtwən- 

plural twenties

1

: a number equal to two times 10 see Table of Numbers

2

twenties plural : the numbers 20 to 29

specifically : the years 20 to 29 in a lifetime or century

3

: a 20-dollar bill

twentieth

ˈtwen-tē-əth 

ˈtwən-

adjective or noun

twenty adjective

twenty pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty in a Sentence

Tomorrow the temperature will be in the low twenties.

Recent Examples on the Web

In my early twenties, adrift in Sydney, something magic happened. —Alex Levy, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2025

And that mandate involved putting lots and lots of people in their twenties on the island. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2025

Archaeologists first unearthed the remains of the poor young man—estimated to be in his twenties—in 1960; the black glass was discovered in his skull in 2020. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

In his early twenties at the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War, Soleimani joined the IRGC and undertook acts of sabotage inside Iraq. —Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from twenty, adjective, from Old English twēntig, noun, group of 20, from twēn- (akin to Old English twā two) + -tig group of 10; akin to Old English tīen ten — more at two, ten

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twenty

• twenty-four hours a day
• twenty-fourmo
• twenty-four seven
• twenty-one
• twenty-twenty
• twenty-twenty hindsight
• twenty-twenty vision
• twenty-two

Rhymes for twenty

• mentee
• plenty
• senti
• aplenty

Kids Definition

twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwent-ē 

plural twenties

: a number equal to two times 10 see number

twenty adjective or pronoun