decade

UK: /ˈdɛkeɪd/, /dɪˈkeɪd/

US: /ˈdɛkeɪd/

US: (dek′ād; Brit. also də kād′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dec•ade /ˈdɛkeɪd/   n. [countable]

1. a period of ten years:
   He's been on the movie scene for decades.
2. a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero:
   the decade of the 1990's.

See -dec-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dec•ade  (dek′ād; Brit. also də kād′), n. 

1. a period of ten years:
   the three decades from 1776 to 1806.
2. a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero:
   the decade of the 1980s.
3. a group, set, or series of ten.

• Greek dekad- (stem of dekás) group of ten, equivalent. to dék(a) ten + -ad- -ade²
• Late Latin decad- (stem of decas)
• Middle French
• late Middle English 1425–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

decade / ˈdɛkeɪd dɪˈkeɪd/ noun

1. a period of ten consecutive years
2. a group or series of ten

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French, from Late Latin decad-, decas, from Greek dekas, from deka ten

deˈcadal adjective