forty-two: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2informal, literary, humorous
Quick answer
What does “forty-two” mean?
The number 42, the natural number following forty-one.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The number 42, the natural number following forty-one.
Used in popular culture to represent "the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything" (Douglas Adams' *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*). Also used informally to indicate an unspecified, middling quantity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in the numeral itself. The pop-culture reference originates from British author Douglas Adams and is equally recognised in both varieties.
Connotations
In both UK and US, the primary connotation beyond the number itself is the Hitchhiker's Guide reference, implying a whimsical, pseudo-profound, or arbitrary answer.
Frequency
As a basic number, frequency is identical. The cultural reference frequency is high in tech, science fiction, and geek communities globally.
Grammar
How to Use “forty-two” in a Sentence
[NUMBER + noun] (forty-two people)[BE + forty-two] (He is forty-two)[at + forty-two] (at paragraph forty-two)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “forty-two” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We need to forty-two this column in the spreadsheet. (informal/jargon)
American English
- The system will forty-two the input and flag it. (informal/jargon)
adjective
British English
- He gave a forty-two page report to the committee.
American English
- She bought a forty-two inch television for the den.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used neutrally in data, ages, page numbers (e.g., 'The proposal is on page forty-two').
Academic
Used neutrally in statistics, references (e.g., 'See theorem forty-two'). The cultural reference may appear in interdisciplinary humanities or pop-culture studies.
Everyday
Primarily for stating age, quantities, or making humorous references to the Hitchhiker's Guide (e.g., 'Well, that's the forty-two-dollar question, isn't it?').
Technical
In computing, can be an arbitrary number or an Easter egg (e.g., 'The script returned error code forty-two').
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “forty-two”
- Spelling: 'fourty-two' (incorrect, must be 'forty-two').
- Using the reference in overly formal contexts where it may seem flippant.
- Confusing 'forty-two' with 'forty-second' (42nd).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The spelling 'forty' dates from Middle English, where the vowel shortened and the 'u' was lost, standardised before 'two' was added to form the compound number.
Yes, the reference is globally recognised in pop culture, especially in English-speaking and tech communities.
Yes, it can function attributively (e.g., a forty-two day period). It does not have a comparative/superlative form.
Yes, compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine are hyphenated.
The number 42, the natural number following forty-one.
Forty-two is usually informal, literary, humorous in register.
Forty-two: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɔːti ˈtuː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɔːrṭi ˈtuː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Life, the universe, and everything (answer: forty-two)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Four (4) tens (40) and two (2) more makes forty-two. For the cultural reference: Imagine a supercomputer thinking for 7.5 million years to produce this number as the answer to everything.
Conceptual Metaphor
NUMBER AS AN ANSWER / ARBITRARY NUMBER AS PROFOUND TRUTH.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'forty-two' most likely be a cultural reference rather than a simple number?