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
4
or 40 US, informal
: a forty-ounce bottle or other container of an alcoholic beverage (such as beer or malt liquor)
Kelvin finished his forty in seven or eight long gulps. Tossed the bottle in the median carpeted with brown grass.—
Dave Byrne
Dave Byrne… smoking weed and drinking 40s while her kids run loose.—Jim Schutze
Jim Schutze
forty
adjective
forty
pronoun, plural in construction
Examples of forty in a Sentence
The temperature outside is in the high forties.
She is in her forties.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary was fifty-five years old, and her symptoms had begun in her early forties, which is unusual for schizophrenia.
—Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Overview Of The Vignette The vignette has to do with a man in his forties who had previously been under psychiatric care and has recently been exhibiting questionable behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The actress has been vulnerable about the wild ride from being married for 14 years to single in her forties by sharing nuggets with her audience on social media.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 26 June 2025
These ticks become active when temperatures reach the forties, so warm winters and early starts to spring mean there are more chances to get a tick bite.
—Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for forty
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Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Overview Of The Vignette The vignette has to do with a man in his forties who had previously been under psychiatric care and has recently been exhibiting questionable behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The actress has been vulnerable about the wild ride from being married for 14 years to single in her forties by sharing nuggets with her audience on social media.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 26 June 2025
These ticks become active when temperatures reach the forties, so warm winters and early starts to spring mean there are more chances to get a tick bite.
—Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for forty
Cite this Entry
“Forty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forty. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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