eighty-two
Very HighNeutral (Used in all registers from formal to informal)
Definition
Meaning
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of eight and ten, plus two; 82.
Can refer to a group or set of eighty-two items, a designation (e.g., model, year), or symbolize a specific quantity in various contexts (e.g., age, score, page number).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A hyphenated compound numeral. Functions primarily as a determiner (eighty-two books), noun (eighty-two is the answer), and in compound adjectives (an eighty-two-year-old).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Hyphenation standard in both varieties. Potential minor variation in intonation patterns.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NUM + N (eighty-two cars)BE + NUM (The total is eighty-two)V + NUM + N (He scored eighty-two points)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reports, financial data, and statistics (e.g., 'Eighty-two percent of the market share').
Academic
Used in quantitative research, data presentation, and historical dating (e.g., 'The sample size was eighty-two').
Everyday
Commonly used for stating age, quantities, prices, and scores (e.g., 'My grandma is eighty-two').
Technical
Used as a precise measurement or identifier in fields like engineering or computing (e.g., 'Channel eighty-two').
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- An eighty-two-mile journey through the Highlands.
American English
- An eighty-two-story skyscraper in downtown Chicago.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have eighty-two stickers in my collection.
- My flat is number eighty-two.
- The book has eighty-two pages, so it's a quick read.
- She celebrated her eighty-second birthday last week.
- The resolution was passed with eighty-two votes in favour and fifteen against.
- The temperature soared to eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit.
- The study tracked eighty-two participants over a decade, yielding significant longitudinal data.
- Chapter Eighty-Two serves as the novel's philosophical climax.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the number '8' (eighty) and the number '2' (two) playing together. 'Ate (8) too (2) many cakes, now I'm eighty-two years old!'
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY IS VERTICALITY (eighty-two is 'up there', a high number), TIME IS A LANDSCAPE (eighty-two years is a 'long journey').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Direct translation 'восемьдесят два' is correct. No major trap, but note the mandatory hyphen in English.
Common Mistakes
- Writing as 'eightytwo' (no hyphen)
- Writing as 'eighty two' (space instead of hyphen)
- Incorrect stress placement in pronunciation (e.g., stressing 'two' too heavily).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the standard written form for the number 82?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when written out as a word, compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine are traditionally hyphenated.
In American English, the 't' in 'eighty' often becomes a flap /ɾ/, sounding similar to a quick 'd'.
Yes, for example: 'Eighty-two is considered a lucky number in some cultures.'
The ordinal form is 'eighty-second', abbreviated as '82nd'.