Decade

For other senses of this word, see decade (disambiguation).

A decade is a period of ten years. The word is derived (via French) from the Late Latin decadem, accusative of decas, from Greek decas, from deca. The other words for spans of years also come from Latin: lustrum (5 years), century (100 years), millennium (1000 years). The term usually refers to a period of ten years in the calendar starting with 1 and ending in 10. For example, "the 1950s" refers to 1951 through to 1960 (inclusive). In English "decade" can also be used to specify any period of ten years. For example: "During his last decade, Mozart explored chromatic harmony to a degree rare at the time".

See also

• List of decades
• Century
• Millennium

References

• http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=decade