DECADAL Definition & Meaning

decadal

[ dek-uh-dl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or relating to a decade.

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��a·�岹��·�� adverb

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of decadal¹

First recorded in 1745–55; decade + -al ¹

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After a long hiatus, the investment rate picked up slightly in 2022 and 2023, but latest data from a leading ratings agency shows private sector expenditure as part of the overall investments in India's economy dipped again to a decadal low of 33% this financial year.

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"If you'd asked me a few months ago what January 2025 would look like relative to January 2024, my best shot would have been it would be cooler," Adam Scaife, head of monthly to decadal predictions at the UK Met Office, said.

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In November 2021, the project tied for second among new ground-based facilities in astronomers’ latest decadal survey, a periodic wish list that guides federal spending.

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Planetary science decadal surveys in 2011 and 2023 both named an MSR mission a top scientific priority.

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“It’s just the initial part of a decadal average,” she said of recent records.

From

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More About Decadal

What does��decadal mean?

Decadal is used to describe something that involves or lasts for a decade or a period of 10 consecutive years, as in a decadal growth rate.��

Decadal is mostly used to describe something that lasted for 10 years, occurred over 10 years, or is concerned with a time period of 10 years. A decadal climate change survey, for example, is a survey that records 10 years of climate change data.

The similar word decennial can describe something related to a decade, too, but it can also describe something that happens once every 10 years, such as the U.S. Census. Decadal is not used this way.

Example: In order to have enough data, the scientists studied decadal periods of temperature change.

Where does��decadal come from?

The first records of the word decadal come from around the 1740s. It comes from the word decade, meaning “a period of 10 years,” and the suffix -al, which means “of or pertaining to.”

Decadal is not a common word. It is most often used in scientific writing, such as research that analyzes changes or shifts over 10-year periods. Someone may be able to figure out what you mean if you use decadal, but you are probably better off using a phrase instead, like “lasted a decade” or “over a decade.”

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What are some other forms related to decadal?

decadally (adverb)

What are some synonyms for decadal?

decennial

What are some words that share a root or word element with decadal?��

decade

What are some words that often get used in discussing decadal?

How is��decadal used in real life?

Decadal is not commonly used outside of scientific contexts.

The decadal report from the National Research Council on astronomy and astrophysics research is released at 11 a.m. EDT http://bit.ly/a3e0bB

— NASA (@NASA)

"Sea-ice loss amplifies summertime decadal CO2 increase in the western Arctic Ocean" Ouyang et al. 2020 Nature Climate Change

— Dr. Nancy Williams (@OG_Nancy)

With all the excitement about , I forgot to mention that the final panels for the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey have been announced!

— Ed Rivera-Valentín 🇵🇷🏳️‍🌈 (@PlanetTreky)

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Try using��decadal!

Decadal is most closely related to which of the following lengths of time?

A. one year
B. five years
C. 10 years
D. 100 years

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