I wonder what the word decades (plural) mean. For example:
The friendship has lasted for decades.
In this sentence, does it have any chance that decades mean just 10 years? Or should it always be a multiple of 10 years, and thus 20 years, 30 years, etc...?
Also, can decades mean one of the followings?
- 19 years (i.e. more than 10 years but not reaching 20)
- 23 years (i.e. more than 20 years but not necessarily a multiple of 10)