Definition of ninety
nineties
1 : a number equal to nine times 10 — see number table
2 nineties plural : the numbers 90 to 99; specifically : the years 90 to 99 in a lifetime or century She's in her nineties.
ninety
adjectiveninety
pronoun, plural in constructionPeople Are Reading
Examples of ninety in a Sentence
During the nineties, he was going to college and working part-time.
Recent Examples of ninety from the Web
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After a wave of consolidation in the nineties, terrestrial radio lost its community; now, micro-stations online are focusing on discovering new music and sub-genres.
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Cornell was an instrumental figure in the grunge community of the early nineties, which has since been virtually annihilated by suicide and drug addiction.
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There was a period in the late nineties and the early aughts when horror fell into an infatuation with torture porn.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ninety'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ninety
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 12th century
Other Number-Related Terms
NINETY Defined for English Language Learners
ninety
playDefinition of ninety for English Language Learners
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: the number 90
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nine*ties : the numbers ranging from 90 to 99
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: a set of years ending in digits ranging from 90 to 99
NINETY Defined for Kids
Learn More about ninety
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Spanish Central: Translation of ninety Nglish: Translation of ninety for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ninety for Arabic speakers
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