decennary

American  

[dih-sen-uh-ree] / dɪˈsɛn ə ri /

noun

plural

decennaries

1. a decennium.

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adjective

1. pertaining to a period of ten years; decennial.

Etymology

Origin of decennary

1815–25; < Latin decenn ( is ) of ten years ( dec ( em ) ten + -ennis, combining form of annus a year) + -ary

Explanation

A decennary is rare word for a ten-year period. In other words, it's a decade. Call a decade a decennary if you’re feeling like an old fashioned British lawyer. Like decade and decagon (polygon with ten sides), decennary comes from the Latin root decem for “ten.” A hundred years is made up of ten decennaries. People tend to make a big deal about birthdays that end a decennary, like turning 10, 20, or 30, etc.. A decennary is also known as a decennium. An old definition for this word is “ten neighboring families,” but that definition is from a few decennaries ago.

Example Sentences

The borsholder summoned together his whole decennary to assist him in deciding any lesser difference which occurred among the members of this small community.

From The History of England, Volume I by Hume, David

And therefore, anciently, no man was suffered to abide in England above forty days, unless he were enrolled in some tithing or decennary.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 12, No. 322, July 12, 1828 by Various

The borsholder summoned together his whole decennary to assist him in deciding any lesser differences which occurred among the members of this small community.

From The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part A. From the Britons of Early Times to King John by Hume, David