eleven

IPA/ɪˈlev.ən/
KK[ɪlˈɛvən]IPA/əˈlev.ən/

eleven — number

1. the number that comes after ten and before twelve, written as 11.

1.numberA1
Definition

the number that comes after ten and before twelve, written as 11.

Example

Quinn invited eleven children from her class to the birthday party.

determiner before plural noun: eleven + children

Felipe counted eleven stars in the night sky before he fell asleep.

Common collocations
  • eleven o'clock
  • eleven years old
  • eleven times
  • page eleven
  • eleven miles

Grammar Patterns

eleven + plural noun

eleven of + plural noun phrase

Usage Note

When this sense appears before a noun (such as 'eleven books'), it functions like a determiner and the noun must be plural.

Common Mistakes

I have eleven apple.
I have eleven apples.
When using a number greater than one before a countable noun, the noun must be plural.
There are eleven of student.
There are eleven of the students.' or 'There are eleven students.
'eleven of' must be followed by a determiner and a plural noun phrase.

eleven — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In British sports contexts, 'eleven' refers specifically to a team of eleven players and is most commonly used for football (soccer), cricket, and hockey. 'Team' is the broader term that works for any number of players in any sport — a basketball 'team' has five players, while a football 'team' has eleven. 'Squad' includes both the players on the field and substitutes or reserves; a manager might name a 'twenty-three-man squad' for a tournament, but only the 'eleven' actually play on the day. 'Line-up' describes the exact players starting a match, while 'starting eleven' combines both ideas: it is the eleven players chosen to start. For example, a sports reporter might say: 'The manager has a strong squad this year, but nobody knows the starting eleven until match day.'

team ↗squad ↗line-up ↗starting eleven

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • eleven out of twelve
  • eleven to one odds
  • the eleven-plus

Prepositions

  • at eleven
  • by eleven
  • before eleven

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The word 'eleven' comes from Old English 'endleofan', which is made up of 'end-' (meaning 'one more than') and '-leofan' (meaning 'ten'). The original meaning was 'one left over after counting to ten'. This pattern is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as German 'elf' and Dutch 'elf'.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1