2020 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MMXX
- Lowercase
- mmxx
- Letters
- 4
- Parts
- M · M · X · X
- Subtractive pairs
- None
- Read aloud
- twenty twenty
- Leap year?
- Yes
How MMXX is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 2020 separately and joining the pieces gives MMXX:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 2 | 2,000 | MM |
| Hundreds | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
| Tens | 2 | 20 | XX |
| Ones | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- M = 1,000 → running total 2,000
- X = 10 → running total 2,010
- X = 10 → running total 2,020
Why MMXX has 4 letters
Every year from 2000 to 2099 begins with MM (2,000); the rest of MMXX after MM — XX — spells out 20. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 178 have a longer numeral and 7 a shorter one.
The rules MMXX follows
- Largest to smallest. MMXX uses the symbols M and X (4 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- No subtraction needed. None of the digits of 2020 is a 4 or a 9, so MMXX is purely additive: just add the symbol values.
- Repetition. MM repeats M two times and XX repeats X two times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
The year 2020 in Roman numerals: where it appears
- Credits, diplomas and keepsakes. Many productions still print the copyright year as a numeral, and recent dates such as MMXX are popular for wedding bands, tattoos and anniversary gifts.
- An Olympiad year. 2020 is the year of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad — Tokyo (held in 2021).
- Championship numbering. The pro football championship played in early 2020 was game LIV (54), since the series began with game I in January 1967.
- On a calendar. 2020 was a leap year, with 366 days, and January 1 fell on a Wednesday. A full date such as July 4, 2020 is often written VII · IV · MMXX.
To turn a complete birth date or wedding date into numerals — with dots, dashes or spaces in US or day-first order — use the Roman numeral date converter.
Years around 2020 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | MMXV | 4 |
| 2016 | MMXVI | 5 |
| 2017 | MMXVII | 6 |
| 2018 | MMXVIII | 7 |
| 2019 | MMXIX | 5 |
| 2020 | MMXX | 4 |
| 2021 | MMXXI | 5 |
| 2022 | MMXXII | 6 |
| 2023 | MMXXIII | 7 |
| 2024 | MMXXIV | 6 |
| 2025 | MMXXV | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 2020 in Roman numerals?
2020 is written MMXX. Break it into M (1000), M (1000), X (10), X (10) and add the parts: 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 10 = 2020.
How do you say MMXX?
Read the value, not the letters: MMXX is the year 2020, said “twenty twenty.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MMXX?
2021, written MMXXI. The year before, 2019, is MMXIX.