ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sixteenth

num.
A2 Elementary US //ˈsɪkˈstinθ// UK //sˈɪkstiːnθ// six·teenth

num. the position of number 16 in a list. You use it to talk about the person or thing that comes after the fifteenth.

num. the ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number sixteen. Often functions as a determiner or a noun phrase head in fractional or sequential contexts.


SIMPLE

Today is my sixteenth birthday.

CONTEXTUAL

She finished in sixteenth place, which was a great result for her first major race.

COMPLEX

The sixteenth century was a period of significant religious and political upheaval across Europe, marked by the rise of the Reformation.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English sixtenthe, sixtethe, from Old English sixtēoþa, equivalent to sixteen + -th.

Usage

Can be used as a determiner before a noun or as a noun to represent one of sixteen equal parts.

Pitfall

sixteenths of Maysixteenth of MayWhen referring to a specific date, use the singular form 'sixteenth' rather than the plural.

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