eleven

American  

[ih-lev-uhn] / ɪˈlɛv ən /

noun

1. a cardinal number, ten plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, such as 11 or XI.

3. a set or group of 11 people or things, such as a football or soccer team.

   The new forward plays a pivotal role in the Manchester eleven.

4. Also called eleven lines.  Informal. none elevens or 11s. a pair of vertical wrinkles that commonly develop between the eyebrows; frown lines.

   My dermatologist said he could fix my elevens with no injections or plastic surgery.

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adjective

1. amounting to one more than ten in number.

eleven British  

/ ɪˈlɛvən /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one

2. a numeral 11, XI, etc, representing this number

3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of 11 units

4. (functioning as singular or plural) a team of 11 players in football, cricket, hockey, etc

5. Also called: eleven o'clock.  eleven hours after noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to eleven

      eleven chances

   2. ( as pronoun )

      have another eleven today

Usage

Spelling tips for 11 The word eleven (11) is hard to spell because the word sounds as if it should include the letter i [ ih-lev-uhn ]. How to spell eleven: The easiest way to remember how to spell eleven is that every other letter is an e. There are no other vowels. You simply take all of the consonant sounds (l, v, and n), and add an e between all of them: eLeVeN.

Etymology

Origin of eleven

First recorded before 900; Middle English elleven(e), Old English ellefne, endleofan; cognate with Old High German einlif ( German elf ), Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlib-, literally, one remaining (after counting ten). See one, leave ¹

Example Sentences

"She was the sixth patient" of the eleven who died, she said.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Hendizadeh was charged with eleven counts, including deceptive advertising and charging illegal fees.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

"More than eleven years later, thanks almost entirely to Chen, we have identified a legitimate drug candidate and an entirely new target to attack with other new drugs."

From Science Daily • Jan. 22, 2026

Its eleven restaurants are among the best in the world, not just the country.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

“Perhaps things are looking up,” she thought as she led the children downstairs to wait for Simon, for it was already nearing eleven o’clock.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood