twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē How to pronounce twenty (audio) ˈtwən- How to pronounce twenty (audio)
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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Like Grace, young Levack was a music critic in her twenties. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025 A lot of those $40 million transfer fees paid are for players in their early twenties who clubs believe will increase in value and hopefully be sold for fees of $90 million plus. Steve Price, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 The rest of my twenties were a very circuitous adventure. R29 Team, Refinery29, 1 Sep. 2025 The Brotherhood bears some resemblance to the Bruderhof, a tiny Christian pacifist sect founded in Germany in the nineteen-twenties that left its country of origin and spread around the globe in response to Nazi Fascism. Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for twenty

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of twenty was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Twenty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twenty. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

twenty

noun
twen·​ty ˈtwent-ē How to pronounce twenty (audio)
plural twenties
: a number equal to two times 10 see number
twenty adjective or pronoun

More from Merriam-Webster on twenty

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