What does "twentieth" mean?
A person or thing in the twentieth position.
Twentieth
/ˈtwɛn.ti.əθ/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person or thing in the twentieth position.
- Grammar: twentieth is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: 20th, 20th position, compound adjective, fraction.
- Useful contrasts: first, nineteenth, nineteenth-century.
- Usage evidence: Briefly stated, Hobsbawm's thesis is that the history of the twentieth century is that of the decline of civilization.
How to use "twentieth"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "twentieth" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "twentieth" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "twentieth" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "twentieth" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "twentieth" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "20th" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "twentieth", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person or thing in the twentieth position.
- 2 position 20 in a countable series of things wordnet
- 3 One of twenty equal parts of a whole.
"There are some glittering stats out there regarding Brassey: namely that he'd built around one-third of Britain's railways by the time he was in his early 40s, and that by the time of his death (aged 65) he was responsible for around one-twentieth of the world's railways."
Adjective
- 1 The ordinal form of the number twenty. not-comparable
"As with most twentieth-century Chinese writers, little is known of Ts’ao Yü’s life. Though his ancestral home was Ch’ien-chiang 潛江, Hupei province, he himself was probably born in Tientsin in either 1909 or 1910."
Adjective
- 1 coming next after the nineteenth in position wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Briefly stated, Hobsbawm's thesis is that the history of the twentieth century is that of the decline of civilization."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "twentieth"?
Common synonyms include: 20th, 20th position, compound adjective, fraction, one twentieth, one twentieth part.
How do you use "twentieth" in a sentence?
Briefly stated, Hobsbawm's thesis is that the history of the twentieth century is that of the decline of civilization.
How do you pronounce "twentieth"?
Pronounced /ˈtwɛn.ti.əθ/.
Etymology
From earlier twenteth, twentith, from Middle English twentithe, twentiþe, from Old English twēntigoþa. Equivalent to twenty + -eth. Etymological notes twentith, twenteth is the expected development from Middle English twentithe, but in time, the opaque twent- was replaced by a more transparent twenty-, resulting in modern twentieth (in the speech varieties this occurred in, the weak vowel in the final syllable of twenteth, twentith was clearly distinct from that in twenty); similar processes explain the modern pronunciation of thirtieth, fourtieth, etc. This analogy was assisted by synizetic pronunciations of words such as carrying, which allowed twenteth, twentith to be interpreted as contractions of twentieth.