decennium

English

Etymology

From Latin decennium, from decennis (10-year) + -ium (forming abstract nouns), from deciēs (ten times) + annus (year) + -is (forming compound adjectives). Equivalent to decennial + -ium.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈsɛnɪəm/

Noun

decennium (plural decenniums or decennia)

  1. Synonym of decade: a ten year period.
    Coordinate terms: annum, biennium, triennium, quadrennium, quinquennium, sexennium, septennium, octennium, novennium, vicennium, tricennium, centennium, quincentennium, millennium, decamillennium, centimillennium, millionennium
    • 1998, soc.culture.netherlands (Usenet):
      G.B. still has to cope with the heritage of approx. 20 years of consecutive Conservative reigns, just as you guys are getting your act together after almost a decennium of Enlightened Ronnie.
    • 1996, soc.culture.usa (Usenet):
      Christian leaders refused even to *look* through Galileo's telescope (as a matter of fact, the Vatican cleared Galileo's name only as late as in the previous decennium).

Usage notes

When decennium is used in place of the more common decade, it is generally employed to avoid the connection of decade with the set spans of ten year calendar periods whose last digits run from 0 to 9.

Derived terms

Danish

Etymology

From Latin decennium.

Noun

decennium n (singular definite decenniet, plural indefinite decennier)

  1. decade; a period of ten years

Declension

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin decennium.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌdeːˈsɛ.ni.ʏm/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: de‧cen‧ni‧um
  • Rhymes: -ɛniʏm

Noun

decennium n (plural decennia or decenniën or decenniums, diminutive decenniumpje n)

  1. A decade, a period of ten years.

Synonyms

Latin

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From decennis (10-year) + -ium (-ium: forming abstract nouns), decennis being from decem (ten) + annus (year) + -is (forming compound adjectives).

Noun

decennium n (genitive decenniī or decennī); second declension

  1. decennium; decade
Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative decennium decennia
Genitive decenniī
decennī1
decenniōrum
Dative decenniō decenniīs
Accusative decennium decennia
Ablative decenniō decenniīs
Vocative decennium decennia

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Derived terms
Descendants

See also

Adjective

decennium

  1. genitive masculine/feminine/neuter plural of decennis

References

  • decennium”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • decennium in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

decennium n (definite singular decenniet, indefinite plural decennier, definite plural decennia or decenniene)

  1. alternative spelling of desennium

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

decennium n (definite singular decenniet, indefinite plural decennium, definite plural decennia)

  1. alternative spelling of desennium

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɛˈsɛnɪɵm/
  • (file)

Noun

decennium n

  1. decade; a period of ten years
    Synonym: årtionde

Declension

Declension of decennium 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative decennium decenniet decennier decennierna
Genitive decenniums decenniets decenniers decenniernas

References

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