fortieth

[ fawr-tee-ith ]

/ ˈfɔr ti ɪθ /

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adjective

next after the thirty-ninth; being the ordinal number for 40.

being one of 40 equal parts.

noun

a fortieth part, especially of one (1/40).

the fortieth member of a series.

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Origin of fortieth

before 1100; Middle English fourtithe,Old English fēowertigotha.See forty, -eth²

Words nearby fortieth

for the time being, Fort Hood, forthright, Fort Huachuca, forthwith, fortieth, fortification, fortification agate, fortified, fortified pa, fortified wine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fortieth in a sentence

Now, with his fortieth birthday approaching, he decided it was time to retire.
Babe Ruth’s Summer of Records|Bill Bryson|September 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Consider that Israel, at a total population of 7.3 million, is under one-fortieth the size of the USA, at over 300 million.
The Hypocritical Condemnation of Israel|Andrew Roberts|June 2, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Fortieth-day gatherings of commemoration and national strikes turned the tide against the ill-fated Pahlavi dynasty in 1979.
Use Islam to End the Iranian Regime|Nazee Moinian|June 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Dr. and Mrs. Burton just celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary.
The Science of When to Get Married|Hannah Seligson|April 7, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Elderly matrons—and in Turkey every lady is an elderly matron in her fortieth year—are passionately devoted to this enjoyment.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
To be exact he did not go the length of the block between Thirty-ninth and Fortieth.
From Place to Place|Irvin S. Cobb
Scotland was assigned a very moderate share of the land tax (under one-fortieth), and was exempted from certain stamp duties.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 4|Various
His constitution, exhausted by dissipation, rapidly gave way, and he died before he had reached his fortieth year.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
Eight editions of the pamphlet appeared in 1602, and the fortieth edition before the end of the following century.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for fortieth

fortieth

/ (ˈfɔːtɪɪθ) /

adjective

being the ordinal number of forty in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc. Often written: 40th
(as noun)he was the fortieth

noun

one of 40 approximately equal parts of something
(as modifier)a fortieth part

the fraction equal to one divided by 40 (1/40)

Word Origin for fortieth

Old English fēowertigotha

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012