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

Prospect tiers differ between farm systems, obviously, and Phillies’ prospects ranked in the double-digits arguably are not as highly regarded as other organizations’ prospects ranked in the teens or twenties. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

When her gaze falls on a stranger in the dining car, she’s overtaken by a fantasy involving a dashing army officer in Central Europe in the nineteen-twenties. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

But Ben, Anton and I, not knowing what couldn’t be done, decided that three guys in their mid-twenties with no engineering background to speak of would be the ones to get this thing off the ground. — Ronnen Harary, Fortune, 31 July 2026

As more young adults are diagnosed with cancers that once largely affected older adults, young people like Crofton are facing unexpected questions in their twenties about preserving their fertility ahead of treatment. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 29 July 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
• placentae

Kids Definition

twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwent-ē 

plural twenties

: a number equal to two times 10 see number

twenty adjective or pronoun