decennary
Very RareFormal, Historical, Legal
Definition
Meaning
Relating to or lasting for a period of ten years.
1. A period of ten years; a decade. 2. In historical legal contexts (UK), a tithing group of ten families responsible for each other's conduct.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary use of 'decennary' as an adjective meaning 'ten-year' is extremely rare and largely supplanted by 'decadal'. Its historical noun sense relating to a tithing is obsolete.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant modern usage difference, as the word is virtually obsolete. The historical legal 'tithing' sense is specific to English/British law.
Connotations
Connotes extreme formality, historical/archaic language, or specific legal history.
Frequency
Nearly non-existent in contemporary usage in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Adjective + noun (decennary period)Noun of (decennary of families)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Might appear in historical texts; modern academic writing uses 'decadal'.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Rarely, if ever, used in any technical field; 'decadal' is standard.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The decennary review of the statute was long overdue.
- They conducted a decennary survey of land use.
American English
- A decennary census was mandated by the old charter.
- The decennary report gathered dust in the archives.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The term 'decennary' is an archaic synonym for a ten-year period.
- In old English law, a decennary was a grouping of ten households.
- The historian noted that the decennary cycles of agrarian reform were poorly documented.
- His thesis explored the decennary tithing system's role in medieval community policing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'DECENNary' contains 'DEC' (like decimal, based on ten) and sounds like 'century' (a hundred years), but it's for ten.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A MEASURABLE SPAN (a ten-year span).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'десятилетие' (decade) in common use; 'decennary' is not the standard translation. The standard adjective is 'десятилетний'.
- May be mistranslated as 'десятичный' (decimal), which relates to the number ten but not to a time period.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in place of the common 'decade' or 'decadal'.
- Misspelling as 'decenary' or 'decenniary'.
- Assuming it is in common contemporary use.
Practice
Quiz
In which context might you historically encounter the word 'decennary' as a noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'decennary' is extremely rare and considered archaic or highly formal. 'Decade' or 'decadal' are used instead.
They are largely synonymous as adjectives meaning 'occurring every ten years,' but 'decennial' is the standard, commonly used term. 'Decennary' also has an obsolete noun sense referring to a tithing.
Almost certainly not. Unless you are writing a historical or very specific legal text where the archaic term is required, you should use 'decadal' or 'ten-year.'
It is not used in contemporary spoken or written English in either variety. Its historical legal use was in the context of English law.