ninety

[nahyn-tee]

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.

adjective

1. amounting to 90 in number.

ninety

/ 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

determiner

1. 1. amounting to ninety

      ninety times out of a hundred

   2. ( as pronoun )

      at least ninety are thought to be missing

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninety¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninety¹

Old English nigontig

Example Sentences

“Seventy to ninety percent of my life throughout those years was with him,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Bethell spent just four deliveries in the nineties but at no stage looked flustered.

From BBC

That date can be set no sooner than ninety days from the date of Paxton’s request.

From Salon

"Some fans, like those who are between 25 and 40 who began following United in the nineties and 2000s, are still there," said Bunyavirapan.

From BBC

"We spend ninety minutes watching a game between the best writers of their time."

From BBC

When To Use

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.