forty-five

noun

for·​ty-five ˌfȯr-tē-ˈfīv How to pronounce forty-five (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s forty-five fewer minutes than the CDC’s daily recommendation for American adults, yet their metabolic health is fantastic. Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 The number of displaced people kept increasing until, one day in November, our home had become a refuge for over forty-five relatives, all sharing our meals. Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 On September 23, 1947, forty-five members of the American film industry were subpoenaed by HUAC to prove their loyalty to the United States. Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025 In 2012, the New York Civil Liberties Union released a report stating that the average length of a sentence in the SHU was five months, and that the state currently held forty-five hundred people in solitary confinement. Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forty-five

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forty-five was circa 1623

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Cite this Entry

“Forty-five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forty-five. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

forty-five

noun
for·​ty-five
ˌfȯrt-ē-ˈfīv
: a .45 caliber pistol
usually written .45

More from Merriam-Webster on forty-five

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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