decennial

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈsɛniəl/ UK /dɪˈseniəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
occurring every ten years

The decennial census shapes federal funding.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · occurring every ten years decadalten-yearly

Word family

Derived forms decennially

Related forms decennium decennary centennial

Etymology

From Latin decennium ('period of ten years', from decem 'ten' plus annus 'year') plus the suffix -al, modeled on biennial and triennial.

decennium Latin decem Latin annus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# decennial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈsɛniəl/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈseniəl/

## Meanings
1. occurring every ten years

## Examples
- The decennial census shapes federal funding.

## Synonyms
- decadal
- ten-yearly

## Derived Forms
- decennially

## Related Forms
- decennium
- decennary
- centennial

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: decennium
- Root: decem
- Root: annus

## Etymology
From Latin decennium ('period of ten years', from decem 'ten' plus annus 'year') plus the suffix -al, modeled on biennial and triennial.

## AI Etymology
Decennial is from Latin decennium ('period of ten years', from decem 'ten' plus annus 'year') plus the suffix -al, modeled on biennial and triennial. The ancestry passes through Latin decennium, Latin decem, and Latin annus. The suffix -al forms an adjective of relation, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as adjective and noun, it means "occurring every ten years", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include decennium, decennary, and centennial; derived forms include decennially.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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