twentieth
Americanadjective
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next after the nineteenth; being the ordinal number for 20.
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being one of 20 equal parts.
noun
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a twentieth part, especially of one (1/20).
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the twentieth member of a series.
adjective
noun
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one of 20 approximately equal parts of something
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( as modifier )
a twentieth part
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the fraction that is equal to one divided by 20 ( 1/ 20 )
Etymology
Origin of twentieth
before 900; Middle English twentithe, Old English twentigotha. See twenty, -eth 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By the twentieth century, the idea of Western civilization had taken hold in the U.S., which had earlier sought to distinguish itself from the Old World.
One Pfizer medical director referred to the drug as the “‘snake oil’ of the twentieth century” in an email later made public.
“I can’t believe I’m going to ride in an actual car from the twentieth century!” he said, peeking through Eloise’s windows.
From Literature
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Because they were often denied the opportunity to receive schooling around the turn of the twentieth century, when Daddy was born, about half of Colored people at that time were unable to read.
From Literature
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In the second half of the twentieth century, scientists began to realize that human beings could do something similar to themselves.
From Literature
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.