decade

American  

[dek-eyd, duh-keyd] / ˈdɛk eɪd, dəˈkeɪd /

noun

decades plural

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

Derived Forms

• half-decade
  noun
• decadal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• decades
  plural

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

See Examples For:

decade decades

"This order will support their growth ambitions well into the next decade and reflects our strong confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX and sustained demand for fuel-efficient, technologically advanced narrowbody aircraft," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

The three-year-old company, which helps consumers book flight deals with credit-card points, is the second business Jay Reno has launched in a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

But his love for reading persisted, and over the last decade he has been posting his own poems and essays on social media.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

In an interview with The Times published late Sunday, Burnham said he wanted to draw a line under a decade of political turmoil.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

In the meantime the clock was ticking as we drew closer and closer to the end of the decade in which President Kennedy had promised we would put a man on the moon.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Kreko noted that Polgar had international experience, having met dozens of world leaders in past decades while advocating for chess, talent development and education.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Combs’ Miami real estate holdings are made up of two neighboring Star Island properties that he acquired nearly two decades apart.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

If you’d told readers two decades ago that Whitehead would become a bestselling crime novelist, they might have thought you were kidding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Additionally, with youth criminal involvement hitting historic lows, the next generation appears to be one of the least criminally prone in decades, which bodes well for continued reductions in the murder rate.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

In his mind, my entire life is this gigantic chess match, where every tiny move I make in the seventh grade has to be perfectly designed to bring about some glorious endgame decades later.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman