twenty-one

noun

twen·​ty-one ˌtwen-tē-ˈwən 

ˌtwən-

1

: a number that is one more than 20 see Table of Numbers

2

[translation of French vingt-et-un] : blackjack sense 1

twenty-one adjective

twenty-one pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty-one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At least twenty-one people, many of them children, were killed earlier this week after a building collapsed in Gaza City, highlighting the dangerous conditions that still exist in the Gaza Strip. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Most set the bar at twenty-one, though a handful of states allow eighteen-year-olds to participate. — Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

The bars closed at quarter to two, the drinking age was twenty-one, and no one likes to have fun. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Since launching in 2022, IMPALA’s calculator has become the tool of choice for 100 labels in twenty-one countries. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for twenty-one

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon