Standard Lemma guide

sexagesimal

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌsɛk.səˈdʒɛ.sɪ.məl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, related to, or based on the number sixty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The common English divisions of time, longitude, and latitude are all computed using sexagesimal arithmetic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A fraction involving division by 60; a sixtieth part of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • Decimals are actually less convenient than sexagesimals for working with most common fractions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A base-60 number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • Babylonian mathematics was computed in sexagesimals.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of or relating to or reckoning in sixtieths

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the sexagesimal divisions of hours and degrees

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sweḱsḱomtder. Latin sexāgintā Latin -ēsimus Latin sexāgēsimus Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Medieval Latin sexagesimalisder. English sexagesimal From Medieval Latin sexagesimalis, from sexāgēsimus (“sixtieth”) + -ālis (“-al”), from sexāgintā (“sixty”). Cognate with sexagenary and sexagenarian. Cf. sextal.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: hirurogeitar — related to the number sixty
  • Bulgarian: шестдесети (šestdeseti) — related to the number sixty
  • Chinese Mandarin: 六十進制 /六十进制 (liùshí jìnzhì) — related to the number sixty
  • Dutch: sexagesimaal — related to the number sixty
  • Dutch: zestigtallig — related to the number sixty
  • Finnish: 60-kantainen (kuusikymmenkantainen) — related to the number sixty
  • French: sexagésimal — related to the number sixty
  • German: sexagesimal — related to the number sixty
  • Hindi: षष्टाधारी (ṣaṣṭādhārī) — related to the number sixty
  • Italian: sessagesimale — related to the number sixty
  • Japanese: 六十進法 (rokujisshimpō) — related to the number sixty
  • Korean: 육십진법 (yuksipjinbeop) — related to the number sixty
  • Polish: sześćdziesiątkowy — related to the number sixty
  • Portuguese: sexagesimal — related to the number sixty
  • Russian: шестидесятеричный (šestidesjateričnyj) — related to the number sixty
  • Spanish: sexagesimal — related to the number sixty
  • Swedish: sexagesimal — related to the number sixty
  • Turkish: altmışlı — related to the number sixty
  • Turkish: altmışlık — related to the number sixty