decennial
adjective
de·cen·ni·al
di-ˈse-nē-əl 
1
: consisting of or lasting for 10 years
2
: occurring or being done every 10 years
the decennial census
decennial
noun
Examples of decennial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump has been waging the redistricting campaign in an effort to shore up the Republican majority in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, despite the tradition of redistricting directly after a decennial census.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 14 Nov. 2025
The general practice is to redistrict after the decennial census.
—Debra J. Saunders, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
States usually redistrict at the start of the decade following the decennial census.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Redistricting is typically done once every decade, after the decennial census, but Trump has accelerated the timeline in an effort to prevent Democrats from seizing the majority — and acquiring new powers to check his administration — in the final two years of his second term.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decennial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 14 Nov. 2025
The general practice is to redistrict after the decennial census.
—Debra J. Saunders, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
States usually redistrict at the start of the decade following the decennial census.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Redistricting is typically done once every decade, after the decennial census, but Trump has accelerated the timeline in an effort to prevent Democrats from seizing the majority — and acquiring new powers to check his administration — in the final two years of his second term.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decennial
Cite this Entry
“Decennial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decennial. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decennial
adjective
de·cen·ni·al
di-ˈsen-ē-əl
1
: consisting of 10 years
2
: happening every 10 years
decennial census
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share