eighteenth-century

UK: ˌeɪˈtiːnθ ˈsɛn.tʃər.i | US: ˌeɪˈtiːnθ ˈsɛn.tʃər.i

Definition

  1. adj. relating to the period between 1701 and 1800

  2. n. the 18th century as a historical era

Structure
eight <numeral 8>teen <10, forming 13–19>th <ordinal suffix>cent <hundred>ury <noun suffix>
Etymology

The word combines "eighteenth," derived from Old English "eahtatēoþa" (eight + ten + ordinal suffix), and "century," from Latin "centuria" (a group of 100, later a period of 100 years). The hyphenated form emerged in the 18th century itself to describe objects, events, or styles characteristic of that era. The morpheme "cent" preserves its Latin root meaning "hundred," while "ury" evolved as a noun-forming suffix.

Examples

  1. The museum specializes in eighteenth-century furniture.

  2. Jane Austen's novels reflect eighteenth-century social norms.

  3. This painting is a fine example of eighteenth-century portraiture.

  4. The industrial revolution began in the late eighteenth-century.

  5. Scholars debate the political legacy of eighteenth-century Europe.