decennial C2+ Topic:Numbers & Quantity 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 decenniumdecennarycentennial Etymology AI details 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 Numbers & Quantity Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 - Numbers & Quantity - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown