20 in Roman Numerals = XX
20 in Roman numerals is XX. It is simply the ten symbol written twice, with nothing added and nothing subtracted.
What is 20 in Roman numerals?
XX is X (10) + X (10), a repeated base symbol.
X may repeat up to three times, so twenty is XX and thirty is XXX. Forty cannot be XXXX and switches to the subtractive XL instead.
How XX is formed
Reading left to right, 20 breaks into these additive parts. Each Roman symbol is added in turn to reach the total.
X + X = 10 + 10 = 20.
Why 20 is written XX
Twenty is where the teens reset. After the run of four-and-five-character numerals from XIV to XIX, XX is back to two characters, and every numeral from XXI to XXIX is just XX with the single-digit form written after it.
Where 20 in Roman numerals is used
- United States constitutional amendments: Amendment XX, ratified in 1933, moved the start of presidential and congressional terms in January and is commonly known as the Lame Duck Amendment.
- Century styling: In several European languages the century is written with Roman numerals, so the twentieth century appears in print as the XX century.
- Anniversaries: A twentieth anniversary is styled XX on commemorative logos and plaques, which keeps the numeral in front of designers constantly.
- Super Bowl XX: Played in January 1986, the Chicago Bears championship at the end of their 1985 season.
Common mistakes writing 20 in Roman numerals
- XXX is wrong. Three tens is thirty. Twenty needs exactly two.
- IXXI is wrong. Not a valid numeral in any reading. Twenty is a plain repeat, with no subtraction involved at all.
Good to know about 20
- Super Bowl XX was played in 1986; the NFL numbers its championship in Roman numerals (with the one-off exception of Super Bowl 50).
Convert another number
20 is written XX in Roman numerals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 20 in Roman numerals?
Write 20 as XX, combining X + X. Start from the largest value that fits and work down until nothing is left over.
Which Super Bowl is XX?
Super Bowl XX is the 20th Super Bowl, played in 1986. The NFL sets its championship number in Roman numerals, which is why so many people look up values like XX.
How is XX broken down?
XX breaks down as X (10), X (10), so X + X = 10 + 10 = 20.
What number is XX?
XX is 20. Read the symbols left to right, treat any smaller-before-larger pair as a single subtraction, and add the groups together.
Related conversions
- 200 in Roman numerals is CC, the same digit one place value up.
- 40 in Roman numerals is XL, double 20.
- 21 in Roman numerals is XXI, one more than 20.
- 19 in Roman numerals is XIX, one less than 20.