seventeenth-century

UK: ˌsev(ə)nˈtiːnθ ˈsɛnʧʊri | US: ˌsɛvənˈtinθ ˈsɛnʧəri

Definition

  1. adj. relating to the period between 1601 and 1700

  2. n. the 17th century as a historical era

Structure
seventeenth <ordinal number, 17th>century <period of 100 years>
Etymology

The word combines "seventeenth," derived from Old English "seofontēoþa" (seven + tenth, reflecting the ordinal numbering system), and "century," from Latin "centuria" (a group of 100, originally referring to Roman military divisions). By the 16th century, "century" shifted to denote a 100-year timeframe. The hyphenated compound emerged in the 18th century to specify historical periods, with "seventeenth-century" solidifying as an adjective/noun for the 1600s.

Examples

  1. Shakespeare’s plays are iconic works of seventeenth-century literature.

  2. The museum exhibits seventeenth-century Dutch paintings.

  3. Seventeenth-century Europe witnessed the Thirty Years’ War.

  4. This building replicates seventeenth-century architectural styles.

  5. Scientific advancements flourished in the seventeenth-century.