ninety

American  

[nahyn-tee] / ˈnaɪn ti /

noun

plural

nineties

1. a cardinal number, ten times nine.

2. a symbol for this number, as 90 or XC.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. nineties, the numbers, years, degrees, or the like, from 90 through 99, as in referring to numbered streets, indicating the years of a lifetime or of a century, or degrees of temperature.

   His grandmother is in her nineties.

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adjective

1. amounting to 90 in number.

ninety British  

/ ˈnaɪntɪ /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the product of ten and nine See also number

2. a numeral, 90, XC, etc, representing this number

3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 90 units

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to ninety

      ninety times out of a hundred

   2. ( as pronoun )

      at least ninety are thought to be missing

Usage

Spelling tips for 90 The word ninety (90) is hard to spell because it can be hard to remember whether to include the e from nine when combining it with the suffix -ty. How to spell ninety: To spell ninety, you simply combine the base number (nine) with the suffix -ty, which means "multiple of 10." 9 x 10 = 90 or, in writing, nine + -ty = ninety.

Etymology

Origin of ninety

before 1000; Middle English nineti, Old English nigontig. See nine, -ty ¹

Example Sentences

Our reality rotates ninety degrees, and we fall toward the window.

From Literature

“Eighty.eight . . . eighty-nine . . . ninety. Well done! Now, come sit down and let us begin. Hixby’s Lavishly Illustrated Guide to London: Compleat with Historical Reference, Architectural Significance, and Literary Allusions,” she said, reading off the cover.

From Literature

About ninety coal-burning plants accounted for 32.3 percent of the country’s power, and the country had committed to adding thirty more.

From Literature

“Eighty to ninety per cent of the names on my list are not even available at any price.”

From Literature

Kennedy kept the water heated to ninety degrees to soothe his ailing back.

From Literature