decades
word · lemma: decade
/ˈdɛkeɪdz/
DEK-aydz
/dˈɛkeɪdz/
DEK-aydz
Definition
‘Decades’ means periods of ten years. It is used to talk about multiple spans of ten years in history or someone’s life.
Usage & Nuances
'Decades' is plural, always talking about more than one ten-year period. It's common to say 'over the decades,' 'for decades,' or to refer to specific ones, like 'the 1960s and 1970s.' Not for exact counts unless followed by a number (e.g., 'three decades').
Spanish: décadasPortuguese (BR): décadasPortuguese (PT): décadasChinese (Simplified): 几十年Chinese (Traditional): 數十年Hindi: दशकोंArabic: عقودBengali: দশকসমূহRussian: десятилетияJapanese: 数十年Vietnamese: thập kỷKorean: 수십 년Turkish: on yıllarUrdu: عشرےIndonesian: dekade
Example Sentences
People have lived in this village for decades.
basic
The city has changed a lot over the decades.
basic
Scientists have studied this problem for decades.
basic
Fashions from past decades are coming back into style.
natural
For decades, nobody talked about that secret.
natural
Their friendship has lasted decades—and it’s still going strong!
natural