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

By the fall of 1969, Bernard, then in his early twenties, was living in Jersey City, New Jersey. —Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

This position, which typically goes to executives in their early twenties, can lead to careers in finance, in private equity, or nearly any other field. —Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024

Isabella Strahan and her twin sister Sophia are gracefully exiting their teens and entering their twenties. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Oct. 2024

Some have questioned whether Todd, who would have been in his early twenties when the bitcoin white paper was published, would have been capable of developing a sophisticated peer-to-peer digital cash system—a problem that had confounded many talented and experienced cryptographers before him. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Oct. 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