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
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.
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 According to the New York Times, Justice Department officials in a twenty-one-page filing presented the need for renovation as dire. News Desk, Artforum, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twenty-one

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twenty-one was circa 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Twenty-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twenty-one. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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