seventy

noun

sev·​en·​ty ˈse-vən-tē 

ˈse-bᵊm-,

-dē

plural seventies

1

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

2

seventies plural : the numbers 70 to 79

specifically : the years 70 to 79 in a lifetime or century

3

capitalized : a Mormon elder ordained for missionary work under the apostles

seventieth

ˈse-vən-tē-əth 

ˈse-bᵊm-

-dē-

adjective or noun

seventy adjective

seventy pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of seventy in a Sentence

She is in her seventies.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the early seventies, Burnett was developing in his mind a story that was not a story. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025

Growing up in the seventies, however, his earliest recognition of beauty was not of himself, but of his mother. —Essence, 24 June 2025

In another, Jenner goes for peak seventies decadence while lounging in the Light Zebra Print from head to toe, wearing the collection’s one-piece, chiffon cover-up, and matching headscarf (on a matching animal print chair, no less). —Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 24 June 2025

One story is about the publishing industry’s loss of interest in Black authors that began sometime in the seventies, when the revolution began to feel over—at least for people in the publishing industry. —Benjamin Hale june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

seventy, adjective, from Middle English, from Old English seofontig, short for hundseofontig, from hundseofontig, noun, group of seventy, from hund hundred + seofon seven + -tig group of ten; akin to Old English tīen ten

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing seventy

• seventy-eight

Kids Definition

seventy

noun

sev·​en·​ty ˈsev-ən-tē 

plural seventies

: a number equal to seven times 10 see number

seventieth

-tē-əth 

adjective or noun

seventy adjective or pronoun