thirty-eight

noun

thir·​ty-eight ˌthər-tē-ˈāt How to pronounce thirty-eight (audio)
1
: a number that is one more than 37 see Table of Numbers
2
: a .38 caliber handgun
usually written .38
thirty-eight adjective
thirty-eight pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of thirty-eight 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.
In 2024, only thirty-eight people were sentenced for federal mortgage fraud, four more than in the previous year, according to statistics compiled by the United States Sentencing Commission. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025 The flyer circled the meadow for thirty-eight minutes and three seconds. Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025 Megan Reed, a smiley thirty-eight-year-old public-affairs manager for Bell, told me that the MV-75 was slated to replace the oldfangled Black Hawk, which entered service in 1979. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 Our Streets, an exhibit that featured the photography of more than thirty-eight photojournalists, including that of September 11 victim Bill Biggart. Lashawn Harris august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025 According to Aberdeen Research, a company will spend thirty-eight million dollars a year on unplanned downtime costs, primarily due to human error ( Ryan Arsenault, 2016). Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025 The winners, chosen by an anonymous five-person panel, range in age from thirty-eight to eighty-two and were selected based on their demonstrated commitment to their respective practices, their unique contributions to their fields, and the consistently high quality of their work. News Desk, Artforum, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thirty-eight was circa 1541

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Cite this Entry

“Thirty-eight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thirty-eight. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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