seventy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Neutral (used across all registers from formal to informal)
Quick answer
What does “seventy” mean?
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of seven and ten.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of seven and ten; 70.
Used to indicate the approximate number, time period (e.g., the 1970s), or age.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Hyphenation rules for compound numbers (e.g., seventy-one) are identical.
Connotations
None beyond the numerical value.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “seventy” in a Sentence
[DET] + seventy + NOUN (plural)[BE] + seventy + [years old][NUMBER] + hundred and seventyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “seventy” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The seventy-page report was thorough.
- He's in his seventy-first year.
American English
- The seventy-page document was comprehensive.
- She's celebrating her seventy-first birthday.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The project is forecast to deliver a seventy percent return on investment."
Academic
"The sample size was narrowed down to seventy participants."
Everyday
"Grandad is celebrating his seventieth birthday next week."
Technical
"Set the oscillator to a frequency of seventy hertz."
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “seventy”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “seventy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “seventy”
- Misspelling as 'seventhy' or 'seventyth' for the ordinal number.
- Incorrect plural: 'seventies' for the decade, not 'seventy's'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In American English, it's often pronounced with a flapped 'd' sound /ˈsev.ən.ɾi/, though the 't' spelling is always used.
The plural 'the seventies' or 'the 1970s'. The apostrophe in '1970's' is generally considered incorrect for simple plurals.
Eighty (80). The pattern continues: seventy-one, seventy-two... seventy-nine, eighty.
It is context-dependent. For age, it is considered elderly. For a crowd, it is a moderate-sized group. For precision in science, it is just a number.
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of seven and ten.
Seventy is usually neutral (used across all registers from formal to informal) in register.
Seventy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsev.ən.ti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsev.ən.t̬i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “seventh-seventh (archaic, referring to a 70-year period)”
- “the three score years and ten (biblical lifespan)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'seven' plus the suffix '-ty' used for tens (twenty, thirty...).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY: "He has reached the seventy-mile marker of his life."
Practice
Quiz
How do you correctly write the ordinal form of 70?