ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sixty

num. · n.
US //ˈsɪksti// UK //sˈɪksti// six·ty
  1. 1 the number 60 (num.)
    A1 Beginner Math

    the number 60.

    the cardinal number occurring after fifty-nine and before sixty-one.

    Example

    There are sixty minutes in one hour.

    Example

    The speed limit on this stretch of the motorway is sixty miles per hour, though many drivers frequently exceed it.

    Usage

    functions as a determiner or a noun.

    Pitfall
    There are sixty of people in the room.
    There are sixty people in the room.

    Do not use 'of' between a specific number and the noun it describes.

  2. 2 the decade (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the years between 60 and 69 in a century.

    the decade of a person's life or a century, specifically the years ending in 60 through 69.

    Example

    My grandfather is in his late sixty — he will be seventy next year.

    Example

    The cultural revolution of the nineteen-sixties fundamentally altered the social landscape of Western Europe.

    Usage

    usually pluralized as 'the sixties' when referring to a decade.

    Teacher's tip

    When referring to the decade of the 1960s, it is almost always used in the plural form 'the sixties'.
  3. 3 a 60-second advertisement (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    a television or radio advertisement that lasts for one minute.

    a commercial broadcast lasting exactly sixty seconds.

    Example

    The company paid a lot of money for a sixty during the big game.

    Example

    The agency produced a series of thirties and a single sixty to anchor the national television campaign.

    Usage

    primarily used within the advertising and broadcasting industries.

    Teacher's tip

    This is highly specialized jargon; most learners will simply say 'a one-minute commercial'.
Origin

Inherited from Middle English sixty, sexty, Old English sixtiġ, from Proto-Germanic *sehs tigiwiz (“sixty”), equivalent to six + -ty. Cognate with Scots sexty, saxty (“sixty”), Saterland Frisian säkstich (“sixty”), West Frisian sechstich (“sixty”), Dutch zestig (“sixty”), German Low German sesstig (“sixty”), German sechzig (“sixty”), Swedish sextio (“sixty”), Norwegian seksti (“sixty”), Icelandic sextíu (“sixty”). Compare also Sanskrit षष्टि (ṣaṣṭi).

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

Last updated June 20, 2026