forty-five: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral to formal for the number; informal/slang for firearm reference.
Quick answer
What does “forty-five” mean?
The cardinal number 45.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The cardinal number 45; equivalent to the sum of forty and five.
Often used to refer to a .45 caliber firearm or its cartridge; sometimes used as a time (forty-five minutes past the hour, e.g., 'quarter to') or in names of products (e.g., vinyl records playing at 45 RPM).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The number usage is identical. The firearm/cartridge reference (a .45) is vastly more common in American English due to cultural prevalence (e.g., Colt M1911). The phrase 'forty-five rpm record' is understood in both but may be dated.
Connotations
In the UK, 'forty-five' as a number is neutral. In the US, it can strongly connote a type of handgun or its ammunition, especially in crime, military, or historical contexts.
Frequency
The numeral is high frequency in both. The firearm sense is low frequency in the UK, medium-low in specific US contexts (news, history, gun culture).
Grammar
How to Use “forty-five” in a Sentence
NUM (functioning as determiner: forty-five people)NUM (functioning as pronoun: I need forty-five)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “forty-five” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He forty-fived the document? (Not standard; no verb use.)
American English
- He .45'd the target. (Extremely informal/slang, meaning shot with a .45.)
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as a standard adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- A forty-five-minute delay is expected.
- He owns a rare forty-five rpm single.
American English
- She bought a forty-five-acre plot.
- He carried a .45 pistol.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'The project is slated for completion in forty-five days.' Used in timelines, quotas, and financial figures.
Academic
'The sample size was forty-five participants.' Used in reporting data, page numbers, and measurements.
Everyday
'The bus leaves at a quarter to.'/'It'll be about forty-five minutes.' Used for time, age, and quantities.
Technical
'Set the turntable to forty-five revolutions per minute.' or 'The piston has a forty-five-degree offset.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “forty-five”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “forty-five”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “forty-five”
- Misspelling as 'fourty-five'.
- Incorrect hyphenation: 'forty five' (should be hyphenated when modifying a noun, e.g., 'a forty-five-minute wait').
- Using '.45' in formal writing without explanation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is always 'forty-five'. 'Fourty' is a common spelling mistake.
It refers to the approximate diameter of the bullet in hundredths of an inch (0.45 inches).
Yes, when it is a compound number modifying a noun (e.g., 'a forty-five-day period'). It is often hyphenated as a standalone numeral-word.
It can be (e.g., 'six forty-five'), but the phrase 'quarter to seven' is more common in conversational English for 6:45.
The cardinal number 45.
Forty-five is usually neutral to formal for the number; informal/slang for firearm reference. in register.
Forty-five: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfɔːti ˈfaɪv/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfɔːrti ˈfaɪv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “forty-five minutes of fame (play on '15 minutes of fame')”
- “.45 to save your hide (US, informal)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Forty-five is like 'fort' (a strong place) followed by 'five' – imagine a fort guarded by five soldiers, all aged forty-five.
Conceptual Metaphor
MEASUREMENT IS A POSITION ON A SCALE (e.g., 'He's forty-five on the happiness index'); A FIREARM IS A TOOL OF AUTHORITY/POWER.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'forty-five' LEAST likely to refer to a number?