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• nth
  nth

  adjective

  being the last in a series of infinitely decreasing or increasing values, amounts, etc.
• Nth
  Nth

  abbreviation

  North

nth

American  

[enth] / ɛnθ /

adjective

1. being the last in a series of infinitely decreasing or increasing values, amounts, etc.

2. (of an item in a series of occurrences, planned events, things used, etc., that is thought of as being infinitely large) being the latest, or most recent.

   This is the nth time I've told you to eat slowly.

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idioms

1. the nth degree / power,

   1. a high degree or power.

   2. the utmost degree or extent.

      The new hotel was luxurious to the nth degree.

nth ¹ British  

/ ɛnθ /

adjective

1. maths of or representing an unspecified ordinal number, usually the greatest in a series of values

   the nth power

2. informal being the last, most recent, or most extreme of a long series

   for the nth time, eat your lunch!

3. informal to the utmost extreme; as much as possible

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Nth ² British  

abbreviation

1. North

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nth More Idioms  

1. see to the nth degree.

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Etymology

Origin of nth

First recorded in 1850–55; N (the symbol in mathematics) + -th ²

Explanation

Use the adjective nth to mean "utmost" or "most recent in a very long series," like when you have to ask your brother for the nth time to please stop borrowing money from your piggy bank. Mathematicians use this term to represent an indefinite number: "Here's a formula for finding nth roots." In everyday speech, nth satisfies a similar need — it stands for an unspecific large number. So you might complain that it's the nth time this month you've missed the bus, or that a popular TV show is stupid to the nth degree. Nth has been used in this way since the late 1800s, from n as an abbreviation of number.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nth Nth

One judge said the claimed difference with gambling “is sophistry to the nth degree. . . . It’s still the house.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

This goes to the nth degree when it comes to war in this region, where illusion, hypocrisy, and mendacity reign as in few others.

From Slate ● May 13, 2024

“I mean, he had this big binder with different pens, different colors, highlighters. He just went to the nth degree and so I was like, ‘Wow.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

A lot of people don't like watching it but as a player we admire it to the nth degree.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2023

For the nth time, four different people checked over the ration books and parachutes and papers.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Park Jihyun, who, as a young student journalist, uncovered the Nth room sex-ring back in 2019, has since become a political advocate for victims of digital sex crimes.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2024

“Ted Lasso” distilled this theme to the Nth degree without resorting to supernatural activity.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2023

Congratulations to everyone occupying the vacant property at 34 Nth Frederick St, Dublin.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 5, 2018

Prine’s loyal following includes no less than Bob Dylan, who told an interviewer in 2009, “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mind-trips to the Nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2016

So Gud exchanged his right hand for his left hand, which was very easy to do since he was in the Nth dimension and outside the limitations of three-dimensional space.

From The Book of Gud by Harold Hersey