Definition of forty
forties
1 : a number equal to four times 10 — see number table
2 forties plural : the numbers 40 to 49; specifically : the years 40 to 49 in a lifetime or century
3 : the third point scored by a side in a game of tennis
forty
adjectiveforty
pronoun, plural in constructionExplore M-W
Examples of forty in a Sentence
The temperature outside is in the high forties.
She is in her forties.
Recent Examples of forty from the Web
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The victim of the shooting was a black male in his late forties, said Birmingham Police Department spokesman Lt.
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An eyewitness told France Bleu radio that a man in his forties was targeted after leaving the mosque, on his way to have a cup of coffee at a nearby snack bar round 10:30 p.m.
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Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session.
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China also stands out among its emerging market BRICS peers, modestly closing the gap with Russia's mid-forties rank position and passing South Africa and Brazil in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
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Hope is a word in a tuneless ditty — A word whispered with the wind, A dream of forty acres and a mule, A cabin of one’s own and a moment to rest, A name and place for one’s children And children’s children at last . . .
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Focusing on the work of more than forty black women artists from the second-wave feminist movement, the exhibition recognizes the work of these artists committed to activism at a time of intense social change.
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The orderly holes still visible aboveground are air shafts, bored to release dust and provide oxygen to the workers who dug the qanats by hand, sometimes as far as forty miles.
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Since January, ICE has arrested forty-one thousand people, an increase of forty per cent compared with the equivalent period last year.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of forty
Middle English fourty, adjective, from Old English fēowertig, from fēowertig group of 40, from fēower four + -tig group of 10; akin to Old English tīen ten
Other Number-Related Terms
FORTY Defined for English Language Learners
forty
playDefinition of forty for English Language Learners
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: the number 40
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forties : the numbers ranging from 40 to 49
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: a set of years ending in digits ranging from 40 to 49
FORTY Defined for Kids
Learn More about forty
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See words that rhyme with forty Spanish Central: Translation of forty Nglish: Translation of forty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of forty for Arabic speakers
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