eleventh

IPA/ɪˈlev.ənθ/
KK[ɪlˈɛvənθ]IPA/əˈlev.ənθ/

eleventh — adjective

  • eleventhpositive
  • more eleventhcomparative
  • most eleventhsuperlative

1. coming after the tenth person, thing, or event in a series; written as the numbe

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

coming after the tenth person, thing, or event in a series; written as the number 11th

Example

The dental clinic is on the eleventh floor, so please take the elevator up.

position before a noun: the eleventh floor

We celebrated Yuki's eleventh birthday at a small park near her house.

Common collocations
  • the eleventh floor
  • eleventh birthday
  • eleventh chapter
  • eleventh time
  • finish eleventh
  • come eleventh
Antonyms
  • first

    the number one position, at the beginning of a series

Grammar Patterns

the eleventh + noun

be eleventh

come/finish eleventh

Usage Note

When used after a linking verb like 'finish' or 'come', 'eleventh' does not take an article: 'He finished eleventh', not 'He finished the eleventh'.

Common Mistakes

She was the eleventh arrive at the party.
She was the eleventh person to arrive at the party.
'eleventh' alone cannot replace a noun; use 'eleventh + noun' or a linking structure.
He came at the eleventh.
He came eleventh in the race.
dropping 'in the race' changes the meaning to a time reference ('eleventh hour').
Idioms

at the eleventh hour

idiom

at the last possible moment before something happens, just in time to prevent a problem or change a result

The two sides reached an agreement at the eleventh hour, avoiding a strike.

Hugo finished his school project at the eleventh hour and handed it in just before the bell.

eleventh — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Eleventh' (adjective) is an ordinal number meaning 'number 11 in a series', while 'eleven' is the cardinal number that counts a group of 11 items. A learner would say 'there are eleven students' (counting) but 'the eleventh student' (ordering). The separate phrase 'eleventh hour' is an idiom meaning 'the last possible moment' and has no numerical connection to the number 11 beyond its historical origin. For example: 'She ate eleven cookies' (quantity), 'She was the eleventh person in line' (sequence), and 'They fixed the problem at the eleventh hour' (idiom, last-minute).

eleventh ↗eleven ↗eleventh hour

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Comes from the Old English word 'endlyfta', which later became 'elleventh' in Middle English, then 'eleventh' in modern English. The word combines 'eleven' (the number 11) with the suffix '-th' that turns cardinal numbers into ordinal numbers, like 'sixth' from 'six' or 'seventh' from 'seven'.