twenty

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

twentieth

2 of 3

adjective

twen·​ti·​eth ˈtwentēə̇th 

-ntiə̇th, 

in rapid speech sometimes -wənē- or -ni-

1

: being number 20 in a countable series

the twentieth day

see Table of Numbers

2

: being one of 20 equal parts into which something is divisible

a twentieth share of the money

twentieth

3 of 3

noun (2)

"

plural -s

1

: number 20 in a countable series

the twentieth of the month

2

: the quotient of a unit divided by 20 : one of 20 equal parts of something

one twentieth of the total

Examples of twenty in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Tomorrow the temperature will be in the low twenties.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Starting in your twenties, your skin’s production of collagen and elastin—the proteins responsible for resilience and bounce—starts to slow down. — Emily Orofino, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026

That is just a fraction of the more than $100 million in sales the brand was said to have logged in 2012, six years after twenty-something Sophia Amoruso started the business as an eBay store. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026

Madeleine and Erica Zetterquist, two sisters in their twenties from California, bought a house in 2023, and Erica’s then boyfriend moved in with them. — Kelly Marie Coyne, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

The first book visually chronicles their transition from preadolescence into their teenaged years; the second spans into their mid-twenties. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Adjective

Middle English twentithe, from Old English twentigotha, from twentig twenty + -otha -th

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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