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

Jeff Dubin was by then a professor at Caltech, in Pasadena, and still in his twenties. —Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

Super Pedestrian is loose and fun in an untight world — pop-rock banger after banger about the messiness of life in your early twenties, navigating situationships, and combatting post-pandemic ennui. —Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025

Rob Reiner, an American icon, lost The person of interest in the Brown case, a man in his mid-twenties from Wisconsin, was released Sunday night. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025

But despite being in his mid-twenties, the longtime political activist is no stranger to the spotlight and taking bold action to push for change. —Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

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