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.

twentieth 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

German scientist Theodor Boveri first proposed this idea in the early twentieth century after studying cells under the microscope.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

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.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 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

“I daresay this is the first mishap between horse-drawn vehicle and automobile in rural Parke County in the twentieth century, or in fact human history.”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck