forty-three: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “forty-three” mean?
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of forty and three.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of forty and three.
Used to denote quantity, position, or age; a numeral representing the integer 43.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
None in meaning or pronunciation. Spelling is consistent, unlike 'forty' vs 'fourty'. Both varieties use the hyphenated form for compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.
Connotations
None specific to either variety.
Frequency
Equally common and neutral in both varieties. The numeral '43' is more common than the word form in technical/business contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “forty-three” in a Sentence
[number] of [noun][verb] [forty-three] [noun][forty-three] [ordinal]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “forty-three” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He has forty-three unread emails.
- The forty-third applicant got the job.
American English
- She bought forty-three shares.
- The forty-third state was Idaho.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports, data, statistics (e.g., 'a forty-three percent increase').
Academic
Used for enumerating, referencing, and statistical data.
Everyday
Common for stating age, quantities, page/chapter numbers, years.
Technical
Used as a literal integer value in code, measurements, and calculations.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “forty-three”
- Writing as 'fourty-three' (incorrect), writing as '43 three' (redundant), omitting the hyphen in formal writing (e.g., 'forty three').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Forty-three, with a hyphen.
It primarily functions as a determiner/cardinal number adjective (e.g., forty-three cars), but can also be a noun (e.g., forty-three is a prime number).
Forty-third (43rd).
The spelling 'forty' became standard in the early modern English period, likely as a contraction of 'four' + '-ty'. 'Four' retains the 'u' when it is the root word (as in 'fourteen'), but the 'u' was dropped in 'forty'.
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of forty and three.
Forty-three is usually neutral in register.
Forty-three: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfɔːti ˈθriː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfɔːrṭi ˈθriː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He is forty-three if he's a day.”
- “On the forty-third repetition...”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the song 'When I'm Sixty-Four' by The Beatles, but subtract twenty-one.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY AS A POINT ON A LINE, QUANTITY AS AN OBJECT (e.g., 'She has forty-three books' implies possession of discrete units).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT spelling of the number?