twelfth
Americanadjective
-
next after the eleventh; being the ordinal number for 12.
-
being one of 12 equal parts.
noun
-
a twelfth part, especially of one (1/12).
-
the twelfth member of a series.
adjective
noun
-
-
one of 12 equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, measurement, etc
-
( as modifier )
a twelfth part
-
-
the fraction equal to one divided by 12 ( 1/ 12 )
-
music
-
an interval of one octave plus a fifth
-
one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other
-
an organ stop sounding a note one octave and a fifth higher than that normally produced by the key depressed
-
Etymology
Origin of twelfth
before 900; Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, Old English twelfta, equivalent to twelf twelve + -ta -th 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Patriots, who already boasted the most Super Bowl appearances with 11, will now have their twelfth showing on American football's biggest stage, and a chance to vie for a record seventh Lombardi trophy.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
But in its twelfth season, the new “Vanderpump” is standing still instead of moving forward.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
The maqāma genre emerged in the late tenth century and became especially popular from the twelfth century onward.
From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025
As of Sunday evening, 18 requests by hospitals for derogations had been rejected in this strike - the twelfth in the long-running pay dispute - with nine accepted.
From BBC • Jul. 28, 2025
We were scheduled to fly out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the twelfth, spend the next day in New York, and Game 1 would be on Saturday night, the fourteenth.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.