1. plural of decenary; groups or sets of ten items, people, or units
Usage: formal or technical; often used in historical or religious contexts
2. in early Christian practice, groups of ten soldiers or members organized for administrative or military purposes
Usage: historical; archaic

Examples

• The ancient military was organized into decenaries for easier command and control.
• The monastery divided its monks into decenaries for work assignments.
• Historical records show that decenaries were common administrative divisions in early Christian communities.
• Each decenary consisted of exactly ten members responsible for specific duties.
• The bishop appointed leaders to oversee the various decenaries within the diocese.