How Long is a Decade and what's the difference with a Century?
Career Advice

How Long is a Decade and what’s the difference with a Century?

Oftentimes than not, people actually forget how long a decade is and the difference between a decade and a century, but before we go further let’s take a little step back into our childhood.

Sixty seconds make One Minute,
60 Minutes makes One Hour,
24 Hours makes One Day,
Seven Days makes One Week,
365 Days makes One Year,
366 Days makes One Leap Year.

Do you still remember that rhyme? I could remember my mum sat me down with a cane back then, just so I could memorize it, but as I grew up, I realized the rhyme was never complete. How? It never included how long a decade or a century is?

Neither does it include what makes the minutes of each day, nor the seconds. Mauve, just maybe if it had included how long a decade is and what differentiated it from a century, we would have learned how to value each moment of our lives.

24 hours x 60 minutes makes 1,440 minutes in a day,
1,440 minutes x 60 seconds makes 86, 400 seconds in a day,
10 years makes a decade,
100 years make a century.

That completes the rhyme. So now, do you know how long a decade is? If you are still confused, let’s dive into the water until we get to the riverbank of understanding.

Have you ever read any philosophical political or history book? The past events in such books are recorded in decades this is because it is best understood and remembered when documented in decades rather than the exact years. Some historical events are difficult to be tracked with the exact years, this is where the term decades become important.

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How Long is a Decade?

A “decade” is derived from the French/Latin word “dekas” which simplifies a group of ten. A person marks his/her first decade from his or her point of birth until he/she clocks 10 years of age. How long a decade is, is divisible by 10 and it is also measured with the 0’s to 9’s, for instance, 1960’s -1969’s, 1970’s-1979’s, etc.

It can also be grouped from 1’s to 0’s, e.g 2001-2010, 2011-2020, etc.

So someone who is 10years of age has spent a decade, 20 years of age (2 decades), 30 years of age (3 decades), 40 years of age (4 decades), etc.

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The Difference between a Decade and a Century

Over years of growing, you’ve heard about a century as you’ve heard about a decade, most people are more familiar with a century than how long are decades. Why?

A century is a period span of 100 years, it is derived from the Latin word “centum” which means 100. This is why we have the 15th century, 19th century, 21st century, etc. The 15th century ranges from 1500-1600, 21st century ranges from 1900-2000, etc.

The difference between a decade and a century includes,

  • A century is 100 years while decades are 10 years,
  • A century ranges from 1901-2000 strictly or informally from 1900-1999 while a decade ranges from 2010-2019, 2020-2029, etc
  • Decades begin with a 1 and ends with a 0.

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Conclusion

1 century makes 10 decades while a decade makes 10 years. We live in the 21st Century, that is, the 2000s. When we say “the 20th Century,” we are referring to the 1900s. The 1st Century included the years 1-100 (there was no year zero), and the 2nd Century, the years 101-200 according to the calendar we use. So since there is no 0 in the Gregorian calendar we use, 2021 is the start of a new decade. Then 50 years is called half a century.

In this world of ours that has been bastardized, it might be difficult to see the average human who sees a century considering what they consume. To see a century, or even five decades, feed and rest well.

You might want to ask, how long is a decade and a half, that is fifteen years.

Having read this, I believe there is clarity on how long a decade is and the difference between a decade and a century? If you find this engaging and enlightening, do not forget to share and subscribe.