twentieth

American  

[twen-tee-ith, twuhn-] / ˈtwɛn ti ɪθ, ˈtwʌn- /

adjective

1. next after the nineteenth; being the ordinal number for 20.

2. being one of 20 equal parts.

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noun

1. a twentieth part, especially of one (1/20).

2. the twentieth member of a series.

ˈtwentieth British  

/ ˈtwɛntɪɪθ /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal)

   1. coming after the nineteenth in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of twenty: often written 20th

   2. ( as noun )

      he left on the twentieth

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noun

1. 1. one of 20 approximately equal parts of something

   2. ( as modifier )

      a twentieth part

2. 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

The authors attribute this rapid progress to close collaboration among universities, government agencies, and industry, the same mix of partnerships that helped microelectronics mature in the twentieth century.

From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026

One Pfizer medical director referred to the drug as the “‘snake oil’ of the twentieth century” in an email later made public.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

For one thing, recessions are no longer anywhere near as frequent as they used to be in the first half, indeed for most of the twentieth century.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 4, 2025

Mosley’s introduction provides that frame, calling the combined tales “a twentieth century memoir” and linking them to the fight for liberation and equality.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

“The problem of the twentieth century,” wrote W. E. B. Du Bois around sixty years ago, “is the problem of the color line.”

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin