seventeenth

seventeenth — ordinal number

1. the word for the number 17th in a sequence — used to say which person or thing c

1.ordinal numberA2
Definition

the word for the number 17th in a sequence — used to say which person or thing comes after the sixteenth, as in the seventeenth name on a list or the seventeenth person to arrive.

Example

Samir was the seventeenth caller to win a pair of concert tickets.

ordinal with definite article: the seventeenth

The company celebrated its seventeenth year in business with a party for all staff.

Grammar Patterns

the seventeenth [noun]

[possessive] seventeenth [noun]

Usage Note

Like all ordinal numbers, SEVENTEENTH usually follows the definite article THE or a possessive determiner (my, his, its). It is rarely used without a determiner.

Common Mistakes

He was seventeenth caller to arrive.
He was the seventeenth caller to arrive.
Ordinal numbers in this position require the definite article THE.
This is my seventeenths birthday.
This is my seventeenth birthday.
Ordinal numbers do not add -s for plural; they stay singular.

seventeenth — noun

seventeenth — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

SEVENTEENTH (adjective) marks an item's position as number 17 in a series, always requiring a determiner (the seventeenth chapter). SEVENTEEN (noun or adjective) is the cardinal number used for counting (seventeen students, a group of seventeen). SEVENTEENTHLY (adverb) is a formal listing word used to introduce the seventeenth point in a spoken or written list (Seventeenthly, we need to review the budget). 'THE SEVENTEENTH' (noun phrase) can stand alone as a pronoun meaning the seventeenth item or person. Learners should use SEVENTEENTH with a following noun (the seventeenth floor) and SEVENTEEN for simple counting. For example: 'There are SEVENTEEN floors, and the office is on the SEVENTEENTH floor.'

seventeenth ↗seventeen ↗seventeenthlythe seventeenth

Common collocations

Phrases

  • the seventeenth century
  • the seventeenth floor
  • seventeenth place
  • the seventeenth of the month

Prepositions

  • on the seventeenth
  • in the seventeenth
  • by the seventeenth
  • of the seventeenth

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanGermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

SEVENTEENTH comes from the cardinal number SEVENTEEN plus the ordinal suffix -TH. SEVENTEEN traces back through Old English 'seofontiene' (seven + ten + the suffix -teen meaning 'ten'), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European roots *septm (seven) and *dekm (ten). The -TH suffix for forming ordinal numbers has been used since Old English (-þa, -ða) and is the same suffix found in FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, etc.