twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē  ˈtwən- 

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

ˈtwen-tē-əth 

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

At the end of October 2022, four men, each in his late twenties, set sail from western France toward Lisbon. —Tomas Weber, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024

To celebrate the occasion this year, the Goop founder, 51, posted an Instagram tribute in honor of her oldest, who entered her twenties on May 14. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024

After not holding a steady job in his twenties, he has been employed steadily for the past thirty years in building set up and security positions with the San Francisco Convention Center and Union Square Business District. —Michael Bernick, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Responding officers located the suspect, only identified as an adult male in his twenties, heading westbound on Sierra Street as the officer drove head-on from the other direction, causing a shooting between police and the suspect. —The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024

The plot charts the relationship between the characters played by Mod and Woodall, university friends who circle each other romantically for most of their twenties. —Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024

Bloom was in her twenties at the time, while McKenna was two decades older. —Ellie Austin, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024

LeAnn started bussing tables but worked her way up in her early twenties to running the restaurant in partnership with her dad Bobby Mueller. —Gary Stern, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

From his bedroom in northern China, Alex, a comedian in his twenties and a friend of House’s, fretted about the end of his industry. —Chang Che, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing twenty

• twenty-four hours a day
• twenty-fourmo
• twenty-four seven
• twenty-one
• twenty-twenty
• twenty-twenty hindsight
• twenty-twenty vision
• twenty-two

Kids Definition

twenty

noun

twen·​ty ˈtwent-ē 

plural twenties

: a number equal to two times 10 see number

twenty adjective or pronoun