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

Dozens of young people, including a twenty-one-year-old professional footballer, drowned while seeking relief in open water; three French children died in broiling cars. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Input runs about twelve times cheaper and output about twenty-one times cheaper. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The helpless young tailor of twenty-one years of age had a keen nose. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees twenty-one museums, among other establishments, operates independently from the executive branch of the government, which makes wresting control over it more difficult. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 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