The ordinal number that comes after fifteenth and before seventeenth, or referring to one of sixteen equal parts.
From Old English 'sixtēoþa,' combining 'six' (Latin 'sex') with the ordinal suffix '-teenth.' Standard ordinal numbering system solidified in Middle English.
The sixteenth century was when global exploration exploded and the Renaissance peaked—calling it 'the 1500s' loses the poetic weight that 'sixteenth century' carries, which is why we still use ordinal time centuries later.
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