twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē How to pronounce twenty (audio) ˈtwən- How to pronounce twenty (audio)
plural twenties
Synonyms of twentynext
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
ˈtwen-tē-əth How to pronounce twenty (audio)
ˈtwən-
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.
The woman was in her twenties at the time of the alleged incident. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 On the other stood young, financially vulnerable women in their early twenties. — CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 In the nineteen-thirties—a decade of political assassinations, failed military coups, brutal invasions of China, and a hard-right reaction against the relative liberalism of the nineteen-twenties—the yakuza embraced the Zeitgeist with gusto. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Anyone researching a hair transplant in Turkey in their twenties should read a clinic’s willingness to advise waiting as a sign of quality rather than a lost sale. — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing twenty

Rhymes for twenty

See All Rhymes for twenty

Browse Nearby Words

twentieth-century cut
twenty
twenty-eight
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for twenty

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about twenty

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