decennium

English

Etymology

From Latin decem (“ten”) + annum (“year”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɛnɪəm/

Noun

decennium (plural decenniums or decennia)

1. A period of ten years.
   • 1998, soc.culture.netherlands, Usenet‎^[1]:

     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^[2]:

     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

Although decade may be taken as any group of ten years, it is commonly restricted to the informal ten-year periods of the calendar whose last digits run from 0 to 9. Decennium &c. has no such restriction.

Synonyms

• decenniad
• decennary
• (in some contexts): decade

Related terms

• (adj.): See decennial
• (adv.): See decennially
• (10-year anniversary): decennial
• millennium

Translations

period of 10 years

• Dutch: decennium (nl)
• French: décennie (fr)
• German: Dezennium (de) n
• Latin: decennium (la)

• Low German:

  Dutch Low Saxon: tienderjoar (Gronings)

• Serbo-Croatian: дeценија f (decenija)
• Swedish: decennium (sv)

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Danish

Etymology

From Latin decennium.

Noun

decennium n (singular definite decenniet, plural indefinite decennier)

1. decade; a period of ten years

Declension

Declension of decennium

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	decennium	decenniet	decennier	decennierne
genitive	decenniums	decenniets	decenniers	decenniernes

Further reading

• “decennium” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “decennium” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

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

1. a period of ten years

Synonyms

• jaartien, decade

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Latin

Etymology

decem (“ten”) + annus (“year”)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /deˈken.ni.um/, [d̪ɛˈkɛn̪.n̪i.ʊ̃ˑ]

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

• duodecennium

Related terms

• biennium
• triennium
• quadriennium
• quinquennium
• sexennium
• septuennium
• octennium
• vicennium
• tricennium

See also

• biduum
• triduum
• trimenium

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

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛˈsɛnɪɵm/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

decennium n

1. decade; a period of ten years

Declension

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