tenth

noun

ˈten(t)th 

plural tenths ˈten(t)s  ˈten(t)ths 

1

: one that is number ten in a series

the tenth of February

She was the tenth in line.

see Table of Numbers

2

: one of ten equal parts of something

He sold the car for a tenth of its value.

3

a

: a musical interval embracing an octave and a third

b

: the tone at this interval

tenth adjective or adverb

the tenth floor

the world's tenth largest company

Examples of tenth in a Sentence

He was tenth in line.

He traded stocks for one tenth their face value.

I only paid a tenth of what you did for that jacket.

Recent Examples on the Web

One-tenth of respondents reported not having enough food to eat or that their children missed meals, more than double the 4% who reported so in June 2020. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 May 2026

Even tenths of a degree of warming cause problems for Earth’s ecosystems, as species die off, fresh water becomes more scarce and extreme weather events, such as flooding and heat waves, intensify. —Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026

Those were closer to two-tenths of a degree Celsius per decade. —ABC News, 27 May 2026

One paper out that June concluded that one-tenth of all COVID-vaccine hesitancy could be explained in just this way. —Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tenth

• tenth-rate

Kids Definition

tenth

noun

ˈten(t)th 

plural tenths ˈten(t)s 

ˈten(t)ths

1

: one that is number 10 in a series see number

2

: one of 10 equal parts of something

3

: the one numbered 10 in a countable series

tenth adjective or adverb