decade
Americannoun
-
a period of ten years.
the three decades from 1776 to 1806.
-
a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero.
the decade of the 1980s.
-
a group, set, or series of ten.
noun
-
a period of ten consecutive years
-
a group or series of ten
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of decade
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin decad-, stem of decas, from Greek dekás “group of ten”; equivalent to deca- + -ade 2
Explanation
She was so nervous to see her high school sweetheart at their reunion: it had been a decade (ten years) since she'd seen him at graduation, and she still got butterflies thinking about him. A decade is a period of ten years. Decade contains dec, which is used in words that have to do with tens. The Marty Paich Dectet was a band with ten players. A decahedron is a shape with ten faces. And the decimal system is based on the number ten.
Vocabulary lists containing decade
Perfect Ten: Dec, Cent, Mille
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Hunger Games," Chapter 2 Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Research suggests material costs in the beauty industry have risen by more than 90% over the past decade.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Maurer notes that, almost a decade ago, it became clear to him that Mastercard’s foray into services meant its stock could trade at a premium to Visa’s, a call that panned out for years.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
August brings modest gains, with the S&P marking an average annualized gain of 0.9% and 0.2% over the past decade and the last 20 years, respectively.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Maybe one day, over a decade after school ended, I’d get a lot of attention for making performance art about walking to grocery stores.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
Adams, of course, had been trying to do just that for over a decade.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.