Decine

Decine is the plural form of decina, a feminine noun in Italian that refers to a group of about ten units. The term is used to express approximate quantities rather than exact numbers, signaling a rough order of magnitude rather than a precise count. The singular decina denotes a single group of ten; the plural decine indicates multiple such groups or an aggregate amount in tens.

Usage of decine is common in journalism, statistics, and everyday language when exact figures are unavailable or unnecessary. It is typically followed by di to introduce the counted noun, for example: una decina di persone (about ten people), decine di ore (tens of hours), decine di migliaia di persone (tens of thousands of people), or decine di milioni di dollari (tens of millions of dollars). The expression conveys scale rather than precision and can be used with larger magnitudes, as in decine di milioni.

Etymology traces decina to Latin decena, from decem meaning ten; cognate forms exist in other Romance languages, such as Spanish decena and French dizaine. The term occupies a position between a precise numeral and a qualitative approximation, useful for reporting, estimates, and general descriptions without committing to a specific count.

See also: dozen (as a rough numerical category in English) and other approximate quantifier expressions in Romance languages.