plural tenths ˈten(t)s How to pronounce tenth (audio) ˈten(t)ths How to pronounce tenth (audio)
1
: one that is number ten in a series
the tenth of February
She was the tenth in line.
see Table of Numbers
2
: one of ten equal parts of something
He sold the car for a tenth of its value.
3
a
: a musical interval embracing an octave and a third
b
: the tone at this interval
tenth adjective or adverb
the tenth floor
the world's tenth largest company

Examples of tenth in a Sentence

He was tenth in line. He traded stocks for one tenth their face value. I only paid a tenth of what you did for that jacket.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That was followed by isolated showers in the rest of the day, expected to result in about a tenth of an inch of precipitation. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 May 2025 What To Know In a statement released on Wednesday in a post by on X, formerly Twitter, DOGE said that the number of cards suspended in the audit has now passed half a million, meaning over a tenth of all government credit cards have been deactivated by DOGE. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 Just a tenth of those who lost coverage had it the next year. Alexandra Olgin, NPR, 8 May 2025 The You season 5 ending explained—here’s what happens to Joe The show’s final episode, and the tenth from season 5, sees Joe and Bronte—a central love interest and obsession of Joe’s this season played by Madeline Brewer—run away together. Charley Ross, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tenth

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenth was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Tenth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenth. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

tenth

noun
plural tenths ˈten(t)s How to pronounce tenth (audio)
ˈten(t)ths
1
: one that is number 10 in a series see number
2
: one of 10 equal parts of something
3
: the one numbered 10 in a countable series
tenth adjective or adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tenth

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