twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē  ˈtwən- 

plural twenties

1

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

2

twenties plural : the numbers 20 to 29

specifically : the years 20 to 29 in a lifetime or century

3

: a 20-dollar bill

twentieth

ˈtwen-tē-əth 

ˈtwən-

adjective or noun

twenty adjective

twenty pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty in a Sentence

Tomorrow the temperature will be in the low twenties.

Recent Examples on the Web

Basquiat and Schiele left us in their twenties; Kahlo made it to forty-seven; O’Keeffe to ninety-eight. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

Peasants usually married after their apprenticeships in their mid or late twenties. —Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

After your twenties, your scalp’s root system begins to weaken, leaving hair thinner, weaker and more prone to shedding and loss. —Tory Johnson, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026

Emails and news reports show these women were often in their early twenties, many from Eastern Europe. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from twenty, adjective, from Old English twēntig, noun, group of 20, from twēn- (akin to Old English twā two) + -tig group of 10; akin to Old English tīen ten — more at two, ten

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twenty

• twenty-four hours a day
• twenty-fourmo
• twenty-four seven
• twenty-one
• twenty-twenty
• twenty-twenty hindsight
• twenty-twenty vision
• twenty-two

Rhymes for twenty

• mentee
• plenty
• senti
• aplenty

Kids Definition

twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwent-ē 

plural twenties

: a number equal to two times 10 see number

twenty adjective or pronoun