forty

noun for·ty \ ˈfȯr-tē \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of forty

plural forties

1 : a number equal to four times 10 — see Table of Numbers

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

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fortieth

play \ˈfȯr-tē-əth\ adjective or noun

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forty

adjective

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forty

pronoun, plural in construction

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fortyish

play \ˈfȯr-tē-ish\ adjective

See forty defined for English-language learners

See forty defined for kids

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

Antelope, Oregon, a town of forty people, barely noticeable in the sagebrush-scattered, semiarid country of central Oregon, doesn’t usually have its town council meetings covered by CBS News.

— wendla mcgovern, The New Republic, "Range War: The Disciples Come to Antelope," 12 Apr. 2018
Published reports indicate that Penny doesn’t pick up offensive schemes quickly and N.C. State also had another option as a third-down back in Nyheim Hines, who runs a 4.38 forty.

— mike preston, baltimoresun.com, "Mike Preston: Ravens need a third-down passing threat out of the backfield," 9 Apr. 2018
And plenty of commenters suggested that the original poster try Fenty Beauty; the brand’s foundation comes in forty different shades.

— de elizabeth, Allure, "People Are Calling Out Tarte Cosmetics for a Lack of Diversity," 16 Jan. 2018
In the thirties and forties, in ways that became art-world conventional wisdom, some critics equated regionalism with the blood-and-soil mystique of Nazism and/or socialist realism.

— steven strogatz, The New Yorker, "Beyond “American Gothic”," 5 Mar. 2018
My friend Julie, with a look of bewilderment, pointed across a pool filled with forty black swan floaties.

— gigi engle, Marie Claire, "Leather Harnesses, Ball Gags, and Furries Galore: My Weekend at a Fetish Convention," 15 Sep. 2017
And of course, dating in my forties is a world of difference from dating in my twenties.

— ellie delano, Woman's Day, "Dating When You're Older Can Be A Daunting Thing," 18 Feb. 2013
There are a lot of people in their thirties and forties who hold this movie very near and dear.

— nicole sperling, HWD, "Jumanji Producer Matt Tolmach on the Delicate Balance of Remaking a Classic," 20 Dec. 2017
Sokolow is in his mid-forties, with deep brown eyes fringed with heavy lashes, a Pat Buchanan–size head, and a brash confidence.

— vanessa grigoriadis, The Cut, "Inside a Training Course for Campus Sexual-Assault Officers," 15 Dec. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year