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

Seeing venerable houses in disrepair, a pair of women’s volunteer groups founded in the late twenties—the Natchez Garden Club and the Pilgrimage Garden Club—launched the preservation mission and inaugurated the tours. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026

Settling in Montreal in her twenties, Rosenfarb wrote ceaselessly for her dwindling readership and is now recognized as one of Canada’s greatest writers. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

The other teen girl included in the prosecution’s case was allegedly trafficked by all three brothers the same year, when the Alexanders were in their early twenties. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026

In China’s tech sector, senior AI leadership rarely belongs to people in their twenties. —Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 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