Twenties
|twen/ties|
🇺🇸
/ˈtwɛntiz/
🇬🇧
/ˈtwentiz/
(twenty)
group of two tens
Etymology
'twenties' originates from modern English 'twenty', which in turn comes from Old English 'twēntig', where 'twēn' meant 'two' and '-tig' meant 'ten'.
'twenty' changed from Old English 'twēntig' (itself built from elements meaning 'two' + 'ten') through Middle English forms into the modern English 'twenty', and the plural form developed as 'twenties'.
Initially it meant 'two tens' (i.e., the number 20); over time this numeric meaning remained, while the plural also came to denote age-range (20–29) and specific decades (e.g., the 1920s).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the period of a person's life between 20 and 29 years of age (the age range 20–29)
She is in her twenties.
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Noun 2
the decade from 1920 to 1929 (often capitalized as 'the Twenties')
The Twenties saw major cultural and social changes.
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Noun 3
the years 20–29 of any century when referred to as 'the twenties' (e.g., the 1820s, the 2020s)
The town prospered during the twenties of the 19th century.
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Numeral 1
the plural of the number twenty; multiples or groups of 20 (used when referring to quantities of twenty)
He collected three twenties in the game.
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Last updated: 2025/12/18 16:42