fifty-seventh: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1Formal, semi-formal, informal
Quick answer
What does “fifty-seventh” mean?
An ordinal number indicating position number 57 in a sequence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An ordinal number indicating position number 57 in a sequence.
Also used to denote one part when something is divided into 57 equal parts (e.g., "a fifty-seventh share").
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No spelling or meaning differences. Hyphenation standard in both.
Connotations
Neutral ordinal number in both varieties.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both dialects, entirely dependent on context requiring that specific number.
Grammar
How to Use “fifty-seventh” in a Sentence
THE + fifty-seventh + NOUNBE + the + fifty-seventh + to INFon + POSSESSIVE + fifty-seventh + birthdayVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fifty-seventh” in a Sentence
adverb
British English
- She finished fifty-seventh in the London Marathon.
American English
- The team placed fifty-seventh in the national rankings.
adjective
British English
- He celebrated his fifty-seventh birthday with family.
American English
- This is the fifty-seventh edition of the journal.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports, rankings, or sequences (e.g., 'Our division finished the fifty-seventh quarter with a profit').
Academic
Used in historical sequencing, lists, or fractional mathematics.
Everyday
Primarily for birthdays, anniversaries, positions in queues or competitions.
Technical
Used in precise sequencing, such as in software versioning, parts numbering, or scientific data sets.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fifty-seventh”
- Writing as two words without a hyphen ('fifty seventh')
- Incorrectly forming the ordinal part ('fifty-seventh' not 'fifty-seven-th').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, compound numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine are hyphenated when used as ordinals (e.g., twenty-first, fifty-seventh).
Yes, for example: 'I was the fifty-seventh in the queue' or 'She received a fifty-seventh of the total inheritance.'
The standard abbreviation is '57th'.
The primary difference is in the vowel of 'seventh'. British English uses /ˈsev.ənθ/ while American English uses /ˈsɛv.ənθ/. The 't' in 'fifty' is often pronounced as a flap /d/ in American English.
An ordinal number indicating position number 57 in a sequence.
Fifty-seventh is usually formal, semi-formal, informal in register.
Fifty-seventh: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfɪf.ti ˈsev.ənθ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfɪf.ti ˈsɛv.ənθ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of it as 'FIFTY' plus 'SEVENTH'. Remember the hyphen connects the two parts into a single ordinal number.
Conceptual Metaphor
POSITION IS A NUMBER ON A LINE; TIME IS A SEQUENCE OF NUMBERS (e.g., the fifty-seventh year).
Practice
Quiz
Which is the correct written form of the ordinal number 57?