eleven

[ ih-lev-uhn ]

noun

1. a cardinal number, ten plus one.
2. a symbol for this number, such as 11 or XI.
3. a set or group of 11 people or things, such as a football or soccer team:

   The new forward plays a pivotal role in the Manchester eleven.

4. none elevens or 11s. Also called eleven lines. Informal. a pair of vertical wrinkles that commonly develop between the eyebrows; frown lines:

   My dermatologist said he could fix my elevens with no injections or plastic surgery.

adjective

1. amounting to one more than ten in number.

eleven

/ ɪˈlɛvən /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
2. a numeral 11, XI, etc, representing this number
3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of 11 units
4. functioning as singular or plural a team of 11 players in football, cricket, hockey, etc
5. Also calledeleven o'clock eleven hours after noon or midnight

determiner

1. 1. amounting to eleven

      eleven chances

   2. ( as pronoun )

      have another eleven today

Word History and Origins

Origin of eleven¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English elleven(e), Old English ellefne, endleofan; cognate with Old High German einlif ( German elf ), Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlib-, literally, one remaining (after counting ten). See one, leave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eleven¹

Old English endleofan; related to Old Norse ellefo, Gothic ainlif, Old Frisian andlova, Old High German einlif

Example Sentences

The Not Like Us artist was nominated for a total of eleven awards.

From BBC

Could you give a breakdown of the eleven staple ingredients you use to provide a foundation for Caribbean cooking throughout the book?

From Salon

"Having survived two assassination attempts and now this prison sentence, including eleven months in solitary confinement in horrendous conditions, he’s yet again alive and relatively healthy with us," she said.

From BBC

Voters there will also be casting votes for the state’s eleven members of congress and one of its two senators.

From BBC

Ellis is part of a group of eleven fake electors who plotted to cast false votes for Trump in 2020 and and the first of the 18 defendants to cooperate with the AG’s office.

From Salon

How Do You Spell 11?

Spelling tips for 11

The word eleven (11) is hard to spell because the word sounds as if it should include the letter i [ ih-lev–uhn ]. 

How to spell eleven: The easiest way to remember how to spell eleven is that every other letter is an e. There are no other vowels. You simply take all of the consonant sounds (l, v, and n), and add an e between all of them: eLeVeN.