ninety

noun

nine·​ty ˈnīn-tē 

plural nineties

1

: a number equal to nine times 10 see Table of Numbers

2

nineties plural : the numbers 90 to 99

specifically : the years 90 to 99 in a lifetime or century

She's in her nineties.

ninetieth

ˈnīn-tē-əth 

adjective or noun

ninety adjective

ninety pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of ninety in a Sentence

During the nineties, he was going to college and working part-time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those shops were demolished in the nineties to make way for a multiplex and a Barnes & Noble. —Laura Preston, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024

Throughout the week following her speech, Google Trends shows search interest rose from a relative interest score of 18 to a score in the nineties. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024

Mariko Mori became known in the nineties for photographs of herself posed in urban environments in Japan, dressed up as various stereotypes of a Japanese woman. —Sarah Douglas, ARTnews.com, 4 July 2024

A lot of fans in the nineties are nostalgic for the blaring. —Quartz Staff, Quartz, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ninety, adjective, from Old English nigontig, short for hundnigontig, from hundnigontig, noun, group of 90, from hund-, literally, hundred + nigon nine + -tig group of 10; akin to Old English tīen ten

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing ninety

• ninety-nine times out of a hundred
• ninety/ninety-nine percent of the time

Kids Definition

ninety

noun

nine·​ty ˈnīnt-ē 

plural nineties

1

: a number equal to nine times 10 see number

2

plural : the numbers 90 to 99 and specifically the years 90 to 99 in a lifetime or century

ninetieth

-ē-əth 

adjective or noun

ninety adjective or pronoun