eighty

noun

plural eighties
1
: a number that is equal to eight times 10 see Table of Numbers
2
eighties plural : the numbers 80 to 89
specifically : the years 80 to 89 in a lifetime or century
eightieth adjective or noun
eighty adjective
eighty pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of eighty in a Sentence

The temperature rose to the high eighties. She is in her mid-eighties.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (DARE) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) both got their starts in the nineteen-eighties. Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026 There are many of those, but the one that comes immediately to mind is the Miners’ Strike in the UK in the mid-eighties. Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 From the bold and sparkling Carolins of the eighties to the sophisticated and serene woman of the present who, adapting to the new decades, has continued to maintain her style. Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 24 Jan. 2026 The jury heard similar testimony from the current Riverside Hawks program director, Anthony Hargreaves, who played for the church in the late 1970s and early eighties. Luke Cyphers, Rolling Stone, 19 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eighty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English eighty, adjective, from Old English eahtatig, short for hundeahtatig, noun, group of eighty, from hund-, literally, hundred + eahta eight + -tig group of ten; akin to Old English tīen ten

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eighty was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Eighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eighty. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

eighty

noun
plural eighties
: a number that is equal to eight times 10 see number
eightieth adjective or noun
eighty adjective or pronoun

More from Merriam-Webster on eighty

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