sixteenth

American  

[siks-teenth] / ˈsɪksˈtinθ /

adjective

1. next after the fifteenth; being the ordinal number for 16.

2. being one of 16 equal parts.

---

noun

sixteenths plural

1. a sixteenth part, especially of one (1/16).

2. the sixteenth member of a series.

3. Music. sixteenth note.

sixteenth British  

/ ˈsɪksˈtiːnθ /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal)

   1. coming after the fifteenth in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of sixteen: often written 16th

   2. ( as noun )

      the sixteenth of the month

---

noun

1. 1. one of 16 equal or nearly equal parts of something

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sixteenth part

2. the fraction that is equal to one divided by 16 ( 1/ 16 )

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sixteenths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sixteenth

before 900; Middle English sixtenthe ( see sixteen, -th ²); replacing Middle English sixtenthe, sixtethe, Old English sixtēotha ( see tithe)

Example Sentences

Indeed, Spanish steel might have conquered the New World in the sixteenth century, but its long rule over that vast region was facilitated by the appeal of a shared Christian religion.

From Salon • May 28, 2025

The 5-year-old mare ran just off the leader and then made her move with about a sixteenth of a mile to go and just got up at the wire.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2025

A sixteenth child died on Sunday at a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported on Monday.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2024

Artisan is Bayer’s sixteenth biggest investor, according to Refinitiv data.

From Reuters • Aug. 25, 2023

For instance, what about the people of the great Incan city of Cuzco, which was ransacked by foreigners in the sixteenth century?

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata