decade

IPA/ˈdekeɪd/
KK[dˈɛked]IPA/ˈdekeɪd/

decade — noun

  • decadesingular
  • decadesplural

1. A stretch of ten consecutive years. The word is often used to talk about named b

1.nounB1
Definition

A stretch of ten consecutive years. The word is often used to talk about named blocks of time such as the 1990s or the 2010s.

Example

Over the past decade, the number of students at the school has nearly doubled.

over the past decade — common time phrase with present perfect

By the end of that decade, Apinya had saved enough to buy a small flat.

by the end of the decade — time-marker phrase

Common collocations
  • over the past decade
  • in recent decades
  • for more than a decade
  • the next decade
  • the first decade
  • within a decade
Synonyms
  • ten years

    everyday equivalent; 'ten years' is more neutral and less formal than 'decade'

  • ten-year span

    emphasises the continuous length of the period

Grammar Patterns

determiner + decade (a decade, the decade, that decade)

preposition + the + decade (over the decade, during the decade)

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'over', 'during', 'in', 'for', or 'throughout' to show when something happened or how long it lasted. Also very common with a specific number (e.g., 'two decades', 'several decades').

Common Mistakes

I haven't seen her in a decade' (meaning only a few years).
I haven't seen her in years.
'a decade' means exactly ten years, not any long period.
This is the first decade I have owned a car' (after five years).
This is the first time in ten years that I have owned a car.
'decade' refers to a ten-year block, not just any stretch of time.

Word family

  • decades
    plural nounB1
  • decadal
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Decade' and 'ten years' both refer to a block of ten years, but 'decade' is slightly more formal and is the natural choice for named periods (e.g., 'the 1990s'). 'Ten years' is the everyday phrase used in casual conversation ('I lived there for ten years'). A 'ten-year period' is more explicit and often appears in formal or written contexts like reports or contracts. 'Century' shares the same structure but refers to 100 years — learners sometimes misuse 'decade' for 'century' in historical contexts. For dates, use 'decade' for the 2010s and 'century' for the 1900s.

decade ↗ten yearsten-year periodcentury ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • half a decade
  • decade-long

Phrases

  • over the past decade
  • for more than a decade
  • by the end of the decade
  • within a decade

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From Greek 'deka' (the number ten), through Latin 'decas' (a group of ten) and French 'décade'. The meaning 'a period of ten years' appeared in English in the 16th century. The same Greek root 'deka' appears in 'decimal' (based on ten) and 'December' (the tenth month in the early Roman calendar).