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

With that decision, Hill and his wife went through the difficult transition of cutting their spending to save and invest about 50% of their income over the next decade — even after they had two children.

From MarketWatch

The discovery challenges decades of biology textbook explanations and could influence how researchers approach hair loss and hair regeneration.

From Science Daily

These strange formations have puzzled researchers for more than a decade.

From Science Daily

Goldblum reassured her, promising that in the blink of an eye, we would fast forward decades into the future, where it would be "the longest-running show ever".

From BBC

Washington has for decades led efforts to dismantle North Korea's nuclear programme, but summits, sanctions and diplomatic pressure have had little impact.

From Barron's