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.

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decade British  

/ dɪˈkeɪd, ˈdɛkeɪd /

noun

1. a period of ten consecutive years

2. a group or series of ten

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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

Explanation

She was so nervous to see her high school sweetheart at their reunion: it had been a decade (ten years) since she'd seen him at graduation, and she still got butterflies thinking about him. A decade is a period of ten years. Decade contains dec, which is used in words that have to do with tens. The Marty Paich Dectet was a band with ten players. A decahedron is a shape with ten faces. And the decimal system is based on the number ten.

Example Sentences

More than a decade later, nothing has come of it.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

“This was about more than just fixing the old Citi, it was about building the bank the next decade demands,” Fraser said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

There are other people who have had me blocked for a decade, but who I have to report on anyway.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

While Wardley was working in a London office less than a decade ago, home-schooled Dubois was identified early and moulded for the professional game.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

I was just eleven years old, but I will never forget the Great Depression, which lasted more than a decade.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson