decade

noun

de·​cade ˈde-ˌkād How to pronounce decade (audio)
de-ˈkād;
especially sense 1b ˈde-kəd
1
: a group or set of 10
It isn't to be done in a day of course, nor yet in a century, —nor in a decade of centuries …—Anthony Trollope
: such as
a
: a period of 10 years
has been teaching for over a decade
the decade of the twenties
b
Roman Catholicism : a division of the rosary that consists primarily of 10 Hail Marys
2
mathematics : a ratio of 10 to 1 : order of magnitude

Examples of decade in a Sentence

The war lasted nearly a decade. The bridge was built a decade ago. The decade of the 1920s runs from January 1, 1920 to December 31, 1929. the first decade of the 21st century There have been a lot of changes during the past two decades.
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.
At one point, decades ago, Flagler Village was one of the most blighted neighborhoods in the city, Glassman said. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 Charter schools have been a bright spot in Florida public education for three decades. — Thibaut Delloue, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 After more than two decades, a key piece of Fort Worth’s Panther Island is expected to break ground in November. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026 Spain has laid some 2,400 miles of such tracks over more than three decades for its 49 million residents. — Joseph Wilson, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decade

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French décade, from Late Latin decad-, decas, from Greek dekad-, dekas, from deka — see deca-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decade was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Decade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

decade

noun
de·​cade ˈdek-ˌād How to pronounce decade (audio)
-əd;
de-ˈkād;
sense 3 is usually ˈdek-əd
1
: a group or set of 10
2
: a period of 10 years
3
: a part of the rosary made up mainly of 10 Hail Marys
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