twenty-one

noun

twen·​ty-one ˌtwen-tē-ˈwən How to pronounce twenty-one (audio)
ˌtwən-
1
: a number that is one more than 20 see Table of Numbers
2
[translation of French vingt-et-un] : blackjack sense 1
twenty-one adjective
twenty-one pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty-one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least half of the twenty-one delegates were from Quebec, three were from Cameroon, and the rest lived in or around Paris. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 According to the New York Times, Justice Department officials in a twenty-one-page filing presented the need for renovation as dire. — News Desk, Artforum, 26 Aug. 2026 Dozens of young people, including a twenty-one-year-old professional footballer, drowned while seeking relief in open water; three French children died in broiling cars. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Input runs about twelve times cheaper and output about twenty-one times cheaper. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twenty-one

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twenty-one was circa 1611

Rhymes for twenty-one

See All Rhymes for twenty-one

Browse Nearby Words

twenty-ninth
twenty-one
twenty-penny nail
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Twenty-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twenty-one. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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