NYT Dictionary

NINETY

/ˈnaɪn.di/
NumeralNINE-tynine-ty · 2 syllablesGrade 3

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2025

Meaning

The cardinal number occurring after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, represented in Roman numerals as XC and in Arabic numerals as 90.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English nynty, nynety, from Old English hundniġontiġ, from Proto-Germanic *newuntēhundą (“ninety”), equivalent to nine + -ty. Cognate with Scots nynty, nynety (“ninety”), Saterland Frisian njuugentich (“ninety”), West Frisian njoggentich (“ninety”), Dutch negentig (“ninety”), German Low German negentig (“ninety”), German neunzig (“ninety”), Swedish nittio (“ninety”), Norwegian Bokmål nitti (“ninety”), Norwegian Nynorsk nitti (“ninety”), Icelandic níutíu (“ninety”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

90XCxcboxcarsdozenelevenfortnightfourscorelnonagenarian

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 5 recorded puzzles:

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