decade

American  

[dek-eyd, duh-keyd] / ˈdɛk eɪd, dəˈkeɪd /

noun

1. a period of ten years.

   the three decades from 1776 to 1806.

2. a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero.

   the decade of the 1980s.

3. a group, set, or series of ten.

---

decade British  

/ dɪˈkeɪd, ˈdɛkeɪd /

noun

1. a period of ten consecutive years

2. a group or series of ten

---

Other Word Forms

• decadal adjective
• half-decade noun

Etymology

Origin of decade

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin decad-, stem of decas, from Greek dekás “group of ten”; equivalent to deca- + -ade ²

Example Sentences

His success means that British artists have occupied the number one position on the album charts for each of the first 11 weeks of 2026 - the first time this has happened in a decade.

From BBC

People involved in building up the business say much of BuzzFeed’s troubles stem from its more bullish days a decade ago, when it was flush with venture money.

From MarketWatch

But after decades working in the markets and the media, right now I can think of three good reasons to be skeptical of the current panic about the prices of oil, natural gas and gasoline.

From MarketWatch

The same is true if they have a family history of atherosclerotic disease at an early age or a high risk of developing it over the next three decades as measured by the Prevent calculator.

From The Wall Street Journal

The pipeline, beginning in Alaska’s North Slope, will provide gas that could last for many decades.

From The Wall Street Journal