twelve

American  

[twelv] / twɛlv /

noun

twelves plural

1. a cardinal number, 10 plus 2.

2. a symbol for this number, as 12 or XII.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. the Twelve, the 12 apostles chosen by Christ.

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adjective

1. amounting to 12 in number.

twelve British  

/ twɛlv /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and two See also number

2. a numeral, 12, XII, etc, representing this number

3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 12 units

4. Also called: twelve o'clock.  noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to twelve

      twelve loaves

   2. ( as pronoun ) See also dozen

      twelve have arrived

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• twelves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of twelve

before 900; Middle English twelve, inflected form of twelf, Old English twelfe literally, (ten and) two leave, i.e., two left over; cognate with Old Frisian twelef, twelf, Old High German zwelif, Old Norse tōlf, Gothic twalif; compare Lithuanian dvýlika; see two, leave ¹, eleven

Example Sentences

Twelve rate it at Hold, and just two at Underweight.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

Twelve more were given wildcards, and three came through qualifying.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

Twelve flags on the sides nod to the “12th Man” fan base; one is a secret button — push it and the arches pop out to reveal the words “World Champions.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

It also has a deal with Twelve, a startup that uses “industrial photosynthesis,” to produce SAF from CO2 and water.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

“Because, Piper, Twelve Mile is a mall. Winterset is a collection. That means it’s fancier than a mall. More expensive, too.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein