eighty

noun

ˈā-tē 

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

ˈā-tē-əth 

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

By the nineteen-eighties, she was basically finished as a movie star. —Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026

And soon, an explosion of violence takes place which catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026

This is a person in their eighties who was not demented. —Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026

Our demographic is very broad, and ranges from early twenties to late eighties. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing eighty

• eighty-six
• ten-eighty

Rhymes for eighty

• kati
• katy
• platy
• slaty
• weighty

Kids Definition

eighty

noun

ˈāt-ē 

plural eighties

: a number that is equal to eight times 10 see number

eightieth

-ē-əth 

adjective or noun

eighty adjective or pronoun