Vigesimal

Quick meaning: Vigesimal is an adjective meaning Occurring in intervals of twenty.

Meaning

Occurring in intervals of twenty.

More Meanings

1. (arithmetic) To the base twenty.
2. A twentieth part.
3. “vigesimal”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
4. “vigesimal”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
5. “vigesimal”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.

Example Sentences

[I]t is not known whether they [the Maya] progressed beyond a "vigesimal point" to negative powers of 20, i.e. to vigesimal fractions.

The most remarkable vigesimal scale of numeration is that of the Mexicans. The decimal scale is adopted as far as twenty; that is to say, after ten the primitive digits are repeated, but from twenty onwards the numbers are taken by twenties. Thus 34 is canlahhutukal, literally fourteen and twenty.

They had all attended an abacus school (scuola d'abaco), where the basic training program, well known from the numerous practical treatises on the subject that survive, had taught them above all how to deal in different moneys and to make the four basic arithmetic calculations, using what for them was the standard mensural system based on vigesimals and duodecimals.

With regard to the Danish numeral-words founded on the vigesimal system of numeration, it must be admitted that here the explanation fails which has been given for the divergence of the forms representing 70, 80 and 90 from the forms representing the lower numerals of 10 in the case of some other languages, since in the present case the forms for 50 and 60 also depart from the decimal system; […]

Word Forms

• vigesimals

Synonyms for vigesimal

Depending on context, synonyms include vicesimal, vigenary, vicenary, vicenarious.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include pentavigesimal, septemvigesimal, quinquavigesimal, octaval, vicennial, vigintennial.

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