plural tenths
ˈten(t)s,
ˈten(t)ths How to pronounce tenth (audio)
1
: one that is number ten in a series
the tenth of February
She was the tenth in line.
see Table of Numbers
2
: one of ten equal parts of something
He sold the car for a tenth of its value.
3
a
: a musical interval embracing an octave and a third
b
: the tone at this interval
tenth adjective or adverb
the tenth floor
the world's tenth largest company

Examples of tenth in a Sentence

He was tenth in line. He traded stocks for one tenth their face value. I only paid a tenth of what you did for that jacket.
Recent Examples on the Web New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are possible. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2024 On Friday, there will be a 30% of rain after 11 a.m. with less than of a tenth of an inch predicted to fall in downtown Sacramento. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2024 That’s just a tenth of a percentage point higher compared to last February. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The South Bay will see light rain starting on Monday, accumulating to around a tenth of an inch, with the East Bay seeing clouds and cooler temperatures, said Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Heading toward Southern Maryland, rainfall totals of a tenth of an inch or so are more common. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 China’s best chance at maintaining economic growth may be to expand further its trade surplus in manufactured goods, which already represents a tenth of the entire country’s economy. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 In addition, the data is recorded using spots as small as 54 nanometers wide, roughly a tenth of the size of the wavelengths of visible light used to read and write the data. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2024 New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tenth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenth was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tenth

Cite this Entry

“Tenth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenth. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tenth

noun
plural tenths ˈten(t)s How to pronounce tenth (audio)
ˈten(t)ths
1
: one that is number 10 in a series see number
2
: one of 10 equal parts of something
3
: the one numbered 10 in a countable series
tenth adjective or adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tenth

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