nine-tenths

English

Alternative forms

• 9/10ths (uncommon)

Etymology

nine + tenths

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nīn'tĕnthsʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌnʌɪnˈtɛnθs/
• (US) enPR: nīn'tĕnthsʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌnaɪnˈtɛnθs/

Noun

nine-tenths pl (plural only)

1. (literally) Nine parts out of ten; 90%; 9/10.
2. (loosely) Almost all; the vast majority.

Derived terms

• possession is nine-tenths of the law

References

• “nine-tenths” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• “nine-tenths, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (draft revision; Mar. 2010)