Nth - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

Maybe your like

SKIP TO CONTENT nth /ɛnθ/ IPA guide

Use the adjective nth to mean "utmost" or "most recent in a very long series," like when you have to ask your brother for the nth time to please stop borrowing money from your piggy bank.

Mathematicians use this term to represent an indefinite number: "Here's a formula for finding nth roots." In everyday speech, nth satisfies a similar need — it stands for an unspecific large number. So you might complain that it's the nth time this month you've missed the bus, or that a popular TV show is stupid to the nth degree. Nth has been used in this way since the late 1800s, from n as an abbreviation of number.

Definitions of nth

adjective last or greatest in an indefinitely large series “to the nth degree” synonyms: n-th ordinal being or denoting a numerical order in a series

Cite this entry Style: MLA

MLA
APA
Chicago

Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘nth'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing nth

Scrabble: Words with no Vowels

No vowels? No problem! Learn these consonant-only words and watch your Scrabble score soar. Check out our other lists in the collection: High Scoring Words Two-Letter Words Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels Words with 5 Vowels Words with no Vowels Words that Start with Q Words with Q without U Words that Start with X Palindromes

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started Learn with us

Learner subscriptions
Vocabulary lists
Dictionary
Test Prep
Join a Vocabulary Jam
Commonly confused words
Word of the day

Teach with us

For educators
For schools and districts
How it works
Success stories
Research
Professional development
Contact sales

Resources

Help articles/FAQ
Teaching resources
Learner resources
ESL/ELL resources
Grade level resources
IPA Pronunciation
Contact support

Leaderboards

Vocabulary Bowl
Today's leaders
Weekly leaders
Monthly leaders

About

Our Mission
Blog
Tell us what you think
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use

My Account Log in Sign up

Log Out
My Learning
My Proficiency Report
My Profile
Schools & Teachers
My Classes
Assignments & Activities
My Lists
- Find a List to Learn...
- Create a New List...
My Progress
- Words I'm Learning
- My Trouble Words
- Words I've Mastered
- My Achievements
User Administration
User Authentication
My Account