Vocabulary Spotlight
Decade
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A period of ten years.
“The company celebrated a decade of success in the tech industry.”
Pronunciation
[dek-eyd]
Synonyms, Antonyms & Related Words
Synonyms
Ten years
Period
Span
Era
Antonyms
Millennium
Year
Generation
Era (longer than ten years)
Related Words
Biennium (two years)
Lustrum (five years)
Word Origin
“Decade” comes from the French word “décade,” derived from the Latin “decas,” meaning “a group of ten.” It was adopted in the early 17th century to denote a period of ten years.
Word Family
Noun: Decade – A period of ten years.
Adjective: Decennial – Happening once every ten years.
Noun: Decennium – Another term for a decade.
Mnemonics
Remember “Decade” as “De + cade” where “deca” indicates “ten,” a ten-year period.
Another mnemonic: Think of “Decade” as a “DECA”rative (ten) year block.
Industry-specific Usage
History
Historians often categorize events by decades, such as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Great Depression” of the 1930s.
Marketing
In marketing, companies may reflect on a decade of achievements to celebrate brand growth and customer loyalty.
Environmental Science
Environmental scientists track changes over decades to understand climate trends and biodiversity shifts.
In Context
Decades are frequently used in discussions about social, political, or technological progress. In academic research, examining data over a decade can reveal trends. Socially, people reflect on their lives and milestones by looking back on decades.