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	== Distinctions ==		== Distinctions ==

	~~Althrough~~ any period of 10 years is a decade,<ref></ref><ref></ref> a convenient and frequently referenced interval is based on the tens digit of a calendar year, as in using "1960s" to represent the decade from 1960 to 1969.<ref></ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.memidex.com/1960s \|title=1960s \|work=Memidex/Wordnet Dictionary/Thesaurus \|accessdate=2011-08-18}}</ref> Often, for brevity, only the tens part is mentioned (''60s'' or ''sixties''), although this may leave it uncertain which century is meant. These references are frequently used to encapsulate ] or other widespread phenomena that dominated such a decade, as in ''The ] of the 1930s''.		Although any period of 10 years is a decade,<ref></ref><ref></ref> a convenient and frequently referenced interval is based on the tens digit of a calendar year, as in using "1960s" to represent the decade from 1960 to 1969.<ref></ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.memidex.com/1960s \|title=1960s \|work=Memidex/Wordnet Dictionary/Thesaurus \|accessdate=2011-08-18}}</ref> Often, for brevity, only the tens part is mentioned (''60s'' or ''sixties''), although this may leave it uncertain which century is meant. These references are frequently used to encapsulate ] or other widespread phenomena that dominated such a decade, as in ''The ] of the 1930s''.

	Since the common calendar starts with year 1, its ''first'' full decade is the years 1 to 10, the ''second'' decade from 11 to 20, and so on.<ref>''Passim'', i.a. Spencer, Donald D. 1989. ''Invitation to number theory with Pascal''. Ormond Beach: Camelot. 46: "The first decade is from 1 to 10 inclusive, the second decade from 11 to 20 inclusive, and so on."</ref> So while the "2000s" comprises the years 2000 to 2009, the "201st decade" spans 2001 to 2010.		Since the common calendar starts with year 1, its ''first'' full decade is the years 1 to 10, the ''second'' decade from 11 to 20, and so on.<ref>''Passim'', i.a. Spencer, Donald D. 1989. ''Invitation to number theory with Pascal''. Ormond Beach: Camelot. 46: "The first decade is from 1 to 10 inclusive, the second decade from 11 to 20 inclusive, and so on."</ref> So while the "2000s" comprises the years 2000 to 2009, the "201st decade" spans 2001 to 2010.

Revision as of 01:55, 8 March 2013

For other uses, see Decade (disambiguation).

A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived (via French) from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas (ten) and dies (days), which is not correct. The other words for spans of years come from Latin: lustrum (5 years), century (100 years), millennium (1000 years).

Distinctions

Although any period of 10 years is a decade, a convenient and frequently referenced interval is based on the tens digit of a calendar year, as in using "1960s" to represent the decade from 1960 to 1969. Often, for brevity, only the tens part is mentioned (60s or sixties), although this may leave it uncertain which century is meant. These references are frequently used to encapsulate popular culture or other widespread phenomena that dominated such a decade, as in The Great Depression of the 1930s.

Since the common calendar starts with year 1, its first full decade is the years 1 to 10, the second decade from 11 to 20, and so on. So while the "2000s" comprises the years 2000 to 2009, the "201st decade" spans 2001 to 2010.

A decade may also refer to an arbitrary span of 10 years. For example, the statement "during his last decade, Mozart explored chromatic harmony to a degree rare at the time," merely refers to the last 10 years of Mozart's life without regard to which calendar years are encompassed.

Thus, an unqualified reference to, for example, "the decade" or "this decade" may have multiple interpretations depending on the context.

For decades of the 20th century, the term 'decade' often conjures not just a set of ten years but a distinct era roughly approximating those ten years - for example, the 'sixties' often refer to events that took place between c. 1963 and 1971 and conjure memories of the counterculture, flower power and other things going on at the time.

References

Larousse, etymology of decade Template:Fr
Oxford dictionary definition of "decade"
Webster dictionary definition of "decade"
The OWL at Purdue: Apostrophe
"1960s". Memidex/Wordnet Dictionary/Thesaurus. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
Passim, i.a. Spencer, Donald D. 1989. Invitation to number theory with Pascal. Ormond Beach: Camelot. 46: "The first decade is from 1 to 10 inclusive, the second decade from 11 to 20 inclusive, and so on."

External links

Definition from Etymology Online

v t e Time measurement and standards
Chronometry Orders of magnitude Metrology
International standards	Coordinated Universal Time offset UT ΔT DUT1 International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service ISO 31-1 ISO 8601 International Atomic Time 12-hour clock 24-hour clock Barycentric Coordinate Time Barycentric Dynamical Time Civil time Daylight saving time Geocentric Coordinate Time International Date Line IERS Reference Meridian Leap second Solar time Terrestrial Time Time zone 180th meridian
Obsolete standards	Ephemeris time Greenwich Mean Time Prime meridian
Time in physics	Absolute space and time Spacetime Chronon Continuous signal Coordinate time Cosmological decade Discrete time and continuous time Proper time Theory of relativity Time dilation Gravitational time dilation Time domain Time-translation symmetry T-symmetry
Horology	Clock Astrarium Atomic clock Complication History of timekeeping devices Hourglass Marine chronometer Marine sandglass Radio clock Watch stopwatch Water clock Sundial Dialing scales Equation of time History of sundials Sundial markup schema
Calendar	Gregorian Hebrew Hindu Holocene Islamic (lunar Hijri) Julian Solar Hijri Astronomical Dominical letter Epact Equinox Intercalation Julian day Leap year Lunar Lunisolar Solar Solstice Tropical year Weekday determination Weekday names
Archaeology and geology	Chronological dating Geologic time scale International Commission on Stratigraphy
Astronomical chronology	Galactic year Nuclear timescale Precession Sidereal time
Other units of time	Instant Flick Shake Jiffy Second Minute Moment Hour Day Week Fortnight Month Year Olympiad Lustrum Decade Century Saeculum Millennium
Related topics	Chronology Duration music Mental chronometry Decimal time Metric time System time Time metrology Time value of money Timekeeper

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