twenty-two

noun

twen·​ty-two ˈtwen-tē-ˈtü 

ˈtwən-

1

: a number that is one more than 21 see Table of Numbers

2

: a .22-caliber firearm

especially : one firing rimfire cartridges

—usually written .22

twenty-two adjective

twenty-two pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty-two in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In recent years, the jobless rate has risen for all Americans in the twenty-two to twenty-seven age group. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Another bettor won nearly a million dollars for correctly identifying twenty-two out of twenty-three of Google’s top search terms for 2025. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

European clients ordered the domestic panorama in custom sizes for the parlor and hung twenty-two arrangeable panels of distant islands and homogenized races draped in foliage and Neoclassical dress—the first garden, before knowing arrived. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Marcus spent twenty-two years building a manufacturing business from scratch. — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for twenty-two

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue

Kids Definition

twenty-two

noun

ˌtwent-ē-ˈtü

1

: a firearm cartridge of .22 caliber

2

: a firearm of .22 caliber