twenty-first — being number 21 in a sequence; coming after twentieth
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: being number 21 in a sequence; coming after twentieth
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtwenti fɜːrst/
Example Sentences
- Welcome to the twenty-first century, where robots make your coffee!
- On his twenty-first birthday, he finally became legally adult.
- The twenty-first person in line got the last piece of pizza.
twenty-first
ADJECTIVE[/ˈtwenti fɜːrst/]
being number 21 in a sequence; coming after twentieth
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Twenty-first emerged in Old English as a compound of the cardinal number twenty (from Proto-Germanic *twaintigiz, meaning 'two tens') and the ordinal first (from Proto-Germanic *furistaz, meaning 'foremost'). This combination reflects the linguistic convention of forming ordinal numbers by pairing cardinal tens with ordinal units.
Breakdown
twenty (cardinal number, from Proto-Germanic *twaintigiz meaning 'two tens') + first (ordinal form, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz meaning 'foremost'), creating the ordinal numeral for the position 21 in a sequence.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Welcome to the twenty-first century, where robots make your coffee!”
“On his twenty-first birthday, he finally became legally adult.”
“The twenty-first person in line got the last piece of pizza.”
“She lives on the twenty-first floor and is afraid of elevators - what a workout!”
📚Related Words
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