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
Uncovering cultural resilience To better understand South Korea’s unique leisure culture, Kim looked to its historical backdrop — particularly the cultural stagnation that followed the decades of Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War.
—Hanna Park, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Bruce Springsteen thought Moore was boss decades after career setbacks and drug addictions cratered the Sam & Dave musical partnership.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Later in the decade, Farry was a tour manager for a number of indie rock acts, including Stereolab, the Lemonheads, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Quasi and others.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Over the next decade, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decline in every sector except agriculture, where emissions are projected to slightly increase.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decade 
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Hanna Park, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Bruce Springsteen thought Moore was boss decades after career setbacks and drug addictions cratered the Sam & Dave musical partnership.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Later in the decade, Farry was a tour manager for a number of indie rock acts, including Stereolab, the Lemonheads, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Quasi and others.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Over the next decade, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decline in every sector except agriculture, where emissions are projected to slightly increase.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decade
Dictionary Entries Near decade
Cite this Entry
“Decade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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