décennie

decade

noun deh-seh-NEE Rare

Usage Note

Décennie means a ten-year period, equivalent to English 'decade'. It is more formal and precise than the colloquial phrase dix ans. Related time words include siècle (m, century) and millénaire (m, millennium). Note that in French, décade means a ten-day period, not a ten-year one — a classic false friend for English speakers.

Examples

"Beaucoup de choses ont changé en une décennie."

Natural Translation

Many things have changed in a decade.

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