1
: a group or set of 10
his prisoners were divided into decades—
William Godwin
: such as
William Godwin
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
Studios are again ramping up their war on piracy, this time by attempting to avoid the pitfalls in similar efforts more than a decade ago.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Two decades later the friends – minus Daan, who is locked up in the local asylum – gather in the village again after Daan’s brother Ben returns for his father’s funeral.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
It’s taken a decade but the final Lamborghini Huracán is here.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
Many of us had no job prospects to speak of straight out of college, and slogged through a decade of stagnant wages (all while the Boomers who blew up the economy shamed us for living at home and eating avocado toast).
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Yet a decade ago the city’s identity took a tilt with the completion of the stark white Stormen concert hall and library on the waterfront, replacing a rundown car park with two beautiful, big-hitting cultural institutions in the heart of the city.
—Ben Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024
But after 2003, the stadium went a decade without hosting tours, although there were some special events, including Farm Aid in 2010, and birthday bashes for Harley-Davidson and Miller Brewing.
—Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
In September 2023, a month before the Hamas attacks on Israel that began the war in Gaza, Mr. Michael stepped down after two decades as president of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Two decades later the friends – minus Daan, who is locked up in the local asylum – gather in the village again after Daan’s brother Ben returns for his father’s funeral.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
It’s taken a decade but the final Lamborghini Huracán is here.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
Many of us had no job prospects to speak of straight out of college, and slogged through a decade of stagnant wages (all while the Boomers who blew up the economy shamed us for living at home and eating avocado toast).
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Yet a decade ago the city’s identity took a tilt with the completion of the stark white Stormen concert hall and library on the waterfront, replacing a rundown car park with two beautiful, big-hitting cultural institutions in the heart of the city.
—Ben Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024
But after 2003, the stadium went a decade without hosting tours, although there were some special events, including Farm Aid in 2010, and birthday bashes for Harley-Davidson and Miller Brewing.
—Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
In September 2023, a month before the Hamas attacks on Israel that began the war in Gaza, Mr. Michael stepped down after two decades as president of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing decade
Dictionary Entries Near decade
Cite this Entry
“Decade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
decade
noun
de·cade
ˈdek-ˌād 
-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
More from Merriam-Webster on decade
Nglish: Translation of decade for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of decade for Arabic Speakers
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