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

The challenge is that reliable samples from decades ago are hard to find.

From Science Daily

Tehran and Beijing have a partnership dating back decades.

From BBC

In recent decades, however, researchers have expanded this idea to other types of particles, including phonons, which are tiny units of vibration or sound.

From Science Daily

For decades, scientists have tried to understand how these unusual creatures evolved.

From Science Daily

"Salt substitute use remained uncommon over the last two decades including among people with high blood pressure," Wei said.

From Science Daily