Definition

1. Noun:
   • The time of life between 80 and 90: The period when a person is in their eighties, meaning they are aged from 80 to 89 years old.
   • The decade from 1980 to 1989: The period of ten years in the 20th century, specifically the years 1980 through 1989.
   • The decade from 1880 to 1889: The period of ten years in the 19th century, specifically the years 1880 through 1889.

Usage

• The word "eighties" is always plural and typically used with the definite article "the" (e.g., ).
• Context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended. When referring to a person's age, it is often preceded by a possessive (e.g., ) or a descriptive phrase (e.g., ). When referring to a historical decade, it is often preceded by the century (e.g., ) or understood from context.

Examples

• Referring to age:
  • My grandmother is in her eighties and still very active.
  • He wrote his most famous works in his eighties.
• Referring to the 1980s:
  • The music of the eighties is making a comeback.
  • She was a famous movie star in the eighties.
• Referring to the 1880s:
  • The economic depression of the eighties (1880s) affected many countries.
  • This architectural style was popular in the eighties of the nineteenth century.

Advanced Usage

• "The early/late eighties": Used to specify a part of the decade or age range.
  • He started his company in the early eighties (e.g., 1981-1983).
  • She moved to the city in her late eighties (e.g., 87-89 years old).
• "The roaring eighties": A historical phrase sometimes used to describe the 1880s, particularly in Australia, referring to a period of economic boom.

Variants and Related Words

• Eighty (numeral): The cardinal number 80.
• Eightieth (adj/noun): Constituting number eighty in a sequence; the ordinal form (e.g., her birthday).
• Octogenarian (noun): A person who is between 80 and 89 years old. This is a more formal synonym for "a person in their eighties."

Synonyms

• For age: Octogenarian years.
• For the 1980s: The '80s, the 1980s.
• For the 1880s: The 1880s.

Related Phrases

• In one's eighties: The standard phrase to describe being aged 80-89.
  • He took up painting in his eighties.
• The mid-eighties: Refers to the middle part of the decade, roughly 1984-1986, or ages 84-86.
  • The song was a hit in the mid-eighties.

Noun

1. the time of life between 80 and 90
2. the decade from 1980 to 1989
3. the decade from 1880 to 1889