decade

noun

de·​cade ˈde-ˌkād 

de-ˈkād;

 especially sense 1b  ˈde-kəd

1

: a group or set of 10

his prisoners were divided into decades

—William Godwin

: such as

a

: a period of 10 years

has been teaching for over a decade

the decade of the twenties

b

Roman Catholicism : a division of the rosary that consists primarily of 10 Hail Marys

2

mathematics : a ratio of 10 to 1 : order of magnitude

decadal

ˈde-kə-dᵊl 

adjective

Examples of decade in a Sentence

The war lasted nearly a decade.

The bridge was built a decade ago.

The decade of the 1920s runs from January 1, 1920 to December 31, 1929.

the first decade of the 21st century

There have been a lot of changes during the past two decades.

Recent Examples on the Web

After decades of creating subversive art and music, Yoko Ono will receive a lifetime achievement award. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024

The challenge to Grants Pass’ rules is the most significant case on homelessness in decades. —USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

In the past two decades, American parents have started to ditch the purées and give babies more choice—and more power—at mealtime. —Olaf Blecker, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024

Initial public offerings have been depressed in Hong Kong, with proceeds slumping to the lowest in more than two decades last year. —Denise Wee, Fortune Asia, 22 Apr. 2024

Of course, the tender filet mignon has fallen out of favor in recent decades, derided as too lean and lacking in flavor compared to its sibling the ribeye. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

In past decades, A-list names like Jane Fonda, Daryl Hannah and Leonardo DiCaprio were among the celebrities best known for environmental work. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024

In two decades, the district has shuttered more than a dozen school buildings, with plans to close at least four more buildings over the next three years. —Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024

Studios are again ramping up their war on piracy, this time by attempting to avoid the pitfalls in similar efforts more than a decade ago. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French décade, from Late Latin decad-, decas, from Greek dekad-, dekas, from deka — see deca-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing decade

• decade-long

Kids Definition

decade

noun

de·​cade ˈdek-ˌād 

-əd;

de-ˈkād;

 sense 3 is usually  ˈdek-əd

1

: a group or set of 10

2

: a period of 10 years

3

: a part of the rosary made up mainly of 10 Hail Marys