tenth

noun

ˈten(t)th 

plural tenths ˈten(t)s  ˈten(t)ths 

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

Sainz ended up taking third place in that race ahead of Leclerc by just two-tenths of a second. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Incumbents were never going to build infrastructure that settles a tenth of a cent at near-zero cost because that would cannibalize their fee model. — Ismail Amla, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Burgess said El Nino generally adds only one or two tenths of a degree Celsius (two to four tenths Fahrenheit) to the global temperature with the overwhelming rest of the heat coming from the burning of fossil fuels. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

The National Weather Service said parts of LA County received as much as a tenth of an inch of rain per 30 minutes early Sunday, with more to come throughout the day. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tenth

• tenth-rate

Kids Definition

tenth

noun

ˈten(t)th 

plural tenths ˈten(t)s 

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