English Reference

Word

seventeen

Phoneticssev·en·teen

US/ˈsɛvənˈtin/

UK/sˌɛvəntˈiːn/

Definition

n. the number that comes after sixteen and before eighteen. It is written as the number 17.

n. the cardinal number equivalent to the sum of ten and seven.

Examples

“She is seventeen years old today.”

“The bus route has seventeen stops before it reaches the final station downtown.”

“The manuscript consists of seventeen distinct chapters, each exploring a different aspect of the historical period in chronological order.”

Examples

simple

“She is seventeen years old today.”

contextual

“The bus route has seventeen stops before it reaches the final station downtown.”

complex

“The manuscript consists of seventeen distinct chapters, each exploring a different aspect of the historical period in chronological order.”

Usage

Functions as a determiner when preceding a noun or as a noun when referring to the number itself.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English seventene, from Old English seofontīene, from Proto-Germanic *sebuntehun. Cognate with Dutch zeventien, West Frisian santjin, German siebzehn, Danish sytten. Equivalent to seven + -teen

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference