WordGarden.ioninety
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /nˈaɪnti/
US
- /ˈnaɪnti/
Meanings
Determiner
the cardinal number 90
Noun
the number or numeral 90
Beyond the definition
"Ninety" is the number 90, or nine groups of ten. You see it in counting, age, distance, speed, and percentages, as in "ninety years," "ninety miles," or "ninety percent." It often points to a large amount or a high level, so if you are "ninety percent sure," you feel very sure. In geometry, "ninety degrees" means a right angle, like the corner of a square or a book.
"Ninety" is the number that comes after eighty-nine and before ninety-one. It means nine tens, and it appears in many everyday situations. We use it for age, time, money, distance, speed, temperature, scores, and percentages. You might talk about "ninety dollars," "ninety minutes," "ninety miles per hour," or "ninety percent of the class."
The word often suggests a large amount because 90 is close to 100, but its main job is still simple: it names a number. If someone says they are "ninety percent sure," they mean they are very sure, though not completely sure. In geometry, "ninety degrees" means a right angle, which you can see in the corner of a room, a page, or a box.
"Ninety" also matters when we talk about age. A person who is ninety years old has reached an advanced stage of life, and the number can carry a sense of respect and long experience. Whether it appears in math, daily conversation, or careful measurement, the word helps describe an exact amount while sometimes also giving the feeling of something large or close to complete.
Examples
- 1
Travel time
The train leaves in ninety minutes.
- 2
Age
My grandmother turned ninety last spring.
- 3
Percentage
About ninety percent of the class passed the test.
- 4
Angle
Turn the handle ninety degrees to the right.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Building age
We stayed in a ninety-year-old hotel near the station.
- 6
Driving speed
The car was doing ninety on the highway.
- Phrasedoing ninety
traveling at ninety miles or kilometers per hour
- 7
Decade
She grew up in the nineties, before everyone had a mobile phone.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- ninetynounadjective