forty-five

noun

for·​ty-five ˌfȯr-tē-ˈfīv 

1

: a number that is five more than 40 see Table of Numbers

2

: a .45 caliber handgun

—usually written .45

3

: a phonograph record designed to be played at 45 revolutions per minute

—usually written 45

forty-five adjective

forty-five pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of forty-five in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Iris sold after forty-five minutes of bidding on the phones among six prospective buyers. — News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2026

The drive ordinarily takes about forty-five minutes, but Deniz always pushed his old yellow Mercedes to do it in thirty. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Marcia, who some had predicted at the beginning of the 1960s would be the voice of the decade, author of two nonfiction books, Slummings and A Night at the Opera, dead at forty-five. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for forty-five

• overdrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• khedive
• revive
• survive

Kids Definition

forty-five

noun

for·​ty-five

ˌfȯrt-ē-ˈfīv

: a .45 caliber pistol

—usually written .45