twenty-first-century
twenty-first-century
UK[ˌtwenti fɜːst ˈsentʃəri]US[ˌtwenti fɜːrst ˈsentʃəri]
adj
Relating to the period from the year 2001 to 2100; modern and current.
n
The period from the year 2001 to 2100.
Morpheme Breakdown
twenty-first
century
twenty-first
ordinal number
century
period of 100 years
Etymology
The term 'twenty-first-century' is a modern compound that precisely locates our current era within the Gregorian calendrical system. Its first element, 'twenty-first', is a Germanic-derived ordinal number specifying position, while the second, 'century', is a Latin-derived term for a hundred-year span. The compound's literal meaning, "of or relating to the twenty-first period of one hundred years," has evolved to carry strong connotations of modernity, technological advancement, and contemporary societal trends. Thus, it functions not just as a temporal marker but as a cultural descriptor for the defining characteristics of the period beginning in 2001.
Analysis
Structure: twenty-first (ordinal number) + century (period of 100 years)
- twenty-first: A compound ordinal number formed from 'twenty' (Old English 'twentig', from 'twegen' meaning 'two') and 'first' (Old English 'fyrst', superlative of 'fore' meaning 'before'). Its functional role is to specify the 21st in a sequence.
- century: From Latin 'centuria', meaning 'group of one hundred', from 'centum' (hundred). Its functional role is to denote a period of one hundred years.
Examples
The company specializes in twenty-first-century digital marketing solutions.
Education systems must adapt to prepare students for the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Her novel is a classic twenty-first-century tale of urban life and connectivity.