decade
noun
de·cade ˈde-ˌkād 
de-ˈkād;
especially sense 1b ˈde-kəd
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
decadal
ˈde-kə-dᵊl
adjective 
Example Sentences
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 Will Power’s run to a second championship, coming off the worst full-season of his decade-plus run at Team Penske, was undoubtedly unique. Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Sep. 2022 So where are millionaires moving outside the east and west coast, and outside the U.S., and what will be number one a decade from now? Alena Botros, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2022 The moment Wilson was traded to Denver in March, ending his decade as the leader under center in Seattle, this game was circled. Tim Bielik, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2022 The moment Wilson was traded to Denver in March, ending his decade as the leader under center in Seattle, this game was circled. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 12 Sep. 2022 The Moment: The '80s were a career-making decade for Susan Sarandon. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2022 Gable was one of the decade’s biggest stars, and Lombard’s screwball comedy is credited with influencing the likes of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. Lara Gabrielle, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 The usefulness of a nonpolitical national figurehead was never more evident than in the Queen’s final decade, when the deficits of the alternative, electoral model were vividly on display across the Atlantic. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2022 Seating capacity was increased by 10,000 a decade after the facility was built. San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 See More
Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Sep. 2022 So where are millionaires moving outside the east and west coast, and outside the U.S., and what will be number one a decade from now? Alena Botros, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2022 The moment Wilson was traded to Denver in March, ending his decade as the leader under center in Seattle, this game was circled. Tim Bielik, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2022 The moment Wilson was traded to Denver in March, ending his decade as the leader under center in Seattle, this game was circled. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 12 Sep. 2022 The Moment: The '80s were a career-making decade for Susan Sarandon. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2022 Gable was one of the decade’s biggest stars, and Lombard’s screwball comedy is credited with influencing the likes of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. Lara Gabrielle, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 The usefulness of a nonpolitical national figurehead was never more evident than in the Queen’s final decade, when the deficits of the alternative, electoral model were vividly on display across the Atlantic. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2022 Seating capacity was increased by 10,000 a decade after the facility was built. San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Middle French décade, from Late Latin decad-, decas, from Greek dekad-, dekas, from deka — see deca-
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing decade
Kids Definition
decade
noun
de·cade ˈde-ˌkād
de-ˈkād
: a period of ten years