thirteenth

thirteenth — ordinal number

1. the form of the number thirteen that tells you a person or thing is number thirt

1.ordinal numberB1
Definition

the form of the number thirteen that tells you a person or thing is number thirteen in a series when you count from the start

Example

Renata finished the race in thirteenth place out of forty runners.

ordinal + 'place' for competition ranking

The store closes on the thirteenth of every month for stocktaking.

the thirteenth + of + month for dates

Common collocations
  • the thirteenth + noun
  • the thirteenth of + month
  • in thirteenth place
  • on the thirteenth
Antonyms
  • first

    occupies position 1, not 13

Grammar Patterns

the thirteenth + noun

the thirteenth of + month

Usage Note

Commonly appears in dates (the thirteenth of May), floor numbers, competition rankings, and numbered items. Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinals nearly always appear with 'the' before them.

Common Mistakes

She was the thirteen guest to arrive.
She was the thirteenth guest to arrive.
'thirteen' is a cardinal number; 'thirteenth' is the ordinal form needed for position in a sequence.
The meeting is on thirteen March.
The meeting is on the thirteenth of March.
In British English, dates with ordinals require 'the' and often 'of'.

thirteenth — noun

thirteenth — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Thirteenth' and 'thirteen' are often confused by learners because they share the same root. 'Thirteen' is a cardinal number (I have thirteen books) and tells you how many. 'Thirteenth' is an ordinal (the thirteenth book on the shelf) and tells you position in a sequence. 'Thirteenthly' is an extremely rare adverb used to introduce the thirteenth item in a spoken list (thirteenthly, we need to check the budget). Learners should focus on mastering the cardinal vs. ordinal distinction first, since 'thirteenthly' appears almost exclusively in formal meeting minutes or legal dictation. A good test: if the word comes before a noun and describes position, use 'thirteenth'. If it tells the total count, use 'thirteen'.

thirteenth ↗thirteen ↗thirteenthly

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the thirteenth of
  • on the thirteenth
  • in thirteenth place

Prepositions

  • on the thirteenth
  • of the thirteenth
  • by the thirteenth

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Thirteenth comes from Old English 'þrēotēoða' (thirtieth — contracted), which was built from 'þrēotīene' (thirteen) plus the ordinal suffix '-þa' (later '-th'). This structure has remained stable for over a thousand years: the numeral plus '-th' marks it as a position rather than a count. The spelling shifted through Middle English 'thrittenthe' before settling into its modern form.