eleven

[ih-lev-uhn]

noun

1. a cardinal number, ten plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, such as 11 or XI.

3. a set or group of 11 people or things, such as a football or soccer team.

   The new forward plays a pivotal role in the Manchester eleven.

4. Also called eleven lines. Informal.,  none elevens or 11s. a pair of vertical wrinkles that commonly develop between the eyebrows; frown lines.

   My dermatologist said he could fix my elevens with no injections or plastic surgery.

adjective

1. amounting to one more than ten in number.

eleven

/ ɪˈlɛvən /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one

2. a numeral 11, XI, etc, representing this number

3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of 11 units

4. (functioning as singular or plural) a team of 11 players in football, cricket, hockey, etc

5. Also called: eleven o'clock. eleven hours after noon or midnight

determiner

1. 1. amounting to eleven

      eleven chances

   2. ( as pronoun )

      have another eleven today

Word History and Origins

Origin of eleven¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English elleven(e), Old English ellefne, endleofan; cognate with Old High German einlif ( German elf ), Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlib-, literally, one remaining (after counting ten). See one, leave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eleven¹

Old English endleofan; related to Old Norse ellefo, Gothic ainlif, Old Frisian andlova, Old High German einlif

Example Sentences

Holman added that he intended to bring his eleven complaints to the Office of Government Ethics.

Read more on Salon

"None of us have ever asked for special treatment," Elisa Cardnell, who served in the US Navy for eleven years, told the BBC.

Read more on BBC

The five-hour and eleven minute funeral service for Charlie Kirk felt less like a memorial and more like a movement summit and call to action.

Read more on Salon

In 2002, the phrase "up to eleven" entered an Oxford English Dictionary phrasebook to describe anything going beyond its supposed maximum.

Read more on BBC

England have famously struggled to get all their best players into a single starting eleven and managers have tried to do so, often to the detriment of the team.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

Spelling tips for 11

The word eleven (11) is hard to spell because the word sounds as if it should include the letter i [ ih-lev-uhn ]. How to spell eleven: The easiest way to remember how to spell eleven is that every other letter is an e. There are no other vowels. You simply take all of the consonant sounds (l, v, and n), and add an e between all of them: eLeVeN.