plural tenths
ˈten(t)s,
ˈten(t)ths How to pronounce tenth (audio)
1
: one that is number ten in a series
the tenth of February
She was the tenth in line.
see Table of Numbers
2
: one of ten equal parts of something
He sold the car for a tenth of its value.
3
a
: a musical interval embracing an octave and a third
b
: the tone at this interval
tenth adjective or adverb
the tenth floor
the world's tenth largest company

Examples of tenth in a Sentence

He was tenth in line. He traded stocks for one tenth their face value. I only paid a tenth of what you did for that jacket.
Recent Examples on the Web China’s best chance at maintaining economic growth may be to expand further its trade surplus in manufactured goods, which already represents a tenth of the entire country’s economy. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 In addition, the data is recorded using spots as small as 54 nanometers wide, roughly a tenth of the size of the wavelengths of visible light used to read and write the data. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2024 New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Feb. 2024 Lee and Brooklyn Moors both stepped out of bounds on floor, costing UCLA two critical tenths, but Harris, competing fifth, scored a 9.95 that momentarily tied the overall score. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 In the tenth of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s safety situation. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2024 In the past weeks, the EU has backtracked on some of its key environmental ambitions for farming, the source of more than a tenth of its greenhouse gas emissions. Nayla Razzouk, Fortune Europe, 13 Feb. 2024 New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 28 Feb. 2024 Chief Executive Tony Spring said these locations accounted for a quarter of the company's square footage but less than a tenth of its sales. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tenth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenth was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tenth

Cite this Entry

“Tenth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tenth

noun
plural tenths ˈten(t)s How to pronounce tenth (audio)
ˈten(t)ths
1
: one that is number 10 in a series see number
2
: one of 10 equal parts of something
3
: the one numbered 10 in a countable series
tenth adjective or adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tenth

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