noughties
C1/C2Informal, journalistic
Definition
Meaning
The decade from 2000 to 2009
A cultural period referring to the first decade of the 21st century, often characterized by specific technological, musical, fashion, and political developments
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in retrospective cultural discussion rather than technical date ranges. Often evokes nostalgia or cultural commentary. Originated in British English but now recognized internationally in English-language media.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More established and slightly more common in British English; American English sometimes uses '2000s' or 'aughts' (though 'aughts' is less common)
Connotations
Both varieties use it with similar cultural connotations, but British usage may feel more natural/native to the term
Frequency
Moderately frequent in UK media/culture; moderately low but recognized in US media/culture
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the [adjective] noughtiesduring the noughtiesin the noughtiesback in the noughtiesVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in retrospective market analysis (e.g., 'tech startups of the noughties')
Academic
Occasional in cultural studies, sociology, media studies discussing the period
Everyday
Common in nostalgic conversation, media retrospectives, pop culture discussion
Technical
Not used in technical date specifications; use '2000-2009' instead
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- That's such a noughties hairstyle.
- The noughties revival in fashion is surprising.
American English
- That song has a real noughties feel.
- It was a noughties phenomenon.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My sister was born in the noughties.
- They played noughties music at the party.
- Fashion from the noughties is coming back.
- Many popular TV shows started in the noughties.
- The economic boom of the mid-noughties contrasted sharply with the later recession.
- Noughties culture was heavily influenced by the rise of social media and reality television.
- Retrospectively, the noughties can be characterized as a transitional period between analogue and digital dominance in daily life.
- The geopolitical landscape shifted considerably throughout the noughties following the events of September 2001.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'nought' meaning zero (0) + 'ies' like in 'eighties' = the decade with all the zeros: 2000-2009
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A LABELED CONTAINER (the noughties as a container holding cultural artifacts)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить буквально как 'нулевые' в формальном контексте
- В американском английском 'aughts' встречается реже и может быть непонятно
- В технических/официальных документах использовать '2000s' или '2000-2009'
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'naughties' (incorrect; 'nought' is UK zero)
- Using for 2010s (wrong decade)
- Capitalizing unnecessarily (usually lowercase)
- Using in formal date ranges instead of '2000-2009'
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is the CORRECT use of 'noughties'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it includes the entire decade from 2000 to 2009, inclusive.
No, it's informal/journalistic. In formal writing, use 'the first decade of the 21st century' or '2000-2009'.
Americans primarily use '2000s' (pronounced 'two-thousands'). Some older or regional speakers use 'aughts', but it's less common.
Yes, informally (e.g., 'noughties music', 'a noughties vibe'). It functions as a noun adjunct.