sixty

noun

six·​ty ˈsiks-tē 

plural sixties

1

: a number that is equal to six times 10 see Table of Numbers

2

sixties plural : the numbers 60 to 69

specifically : the years 60 to 69 in a lifetime or century

sixtieth

ˈsiks-tē-əth 

adjective or noun

sixty adjective

sixty pronoun, plural in construction

sixtyish

ˈsiks-tē-ish 

adjective

Examples of sixty in a Sentence

He retired when he was in his sixties.

Recent Examples on the Web

The landlord, an engineer named Mr. Palit, who occupied the ground floor, was an acquaintance of my parents’ from the late sixties, one of the few members of their Bengali circle who still lived in the city. —Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

The movie’s retro-cool sixties settings were a precursor to Mad Men, and DiCaprio’s Abagnale, Jr. foreshadowed his performances in Shutter Island and Inception as a man trapped in his own delusion. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025

The waiter was older, in his sixties, and spoke a little English. —Literary Hub, 18 June 2025

Imagine a group of a thousand heavy smokers in their sixties. —Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from sixty, adjective, from Old English siextig, noun, group of sixty, from siex six + -tig group of ten; akin to Old English tīen ten

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sixty

• sixty-fourth note
• sixty-fourth rest
• sixty-nine

Kids Definition

sixty

noun

six·​ty ˈsik-stē 

plural sixties

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

sixtieth

-stē-əth 

adjective or noun

sixty adjective or pronoun