fortysomething

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numeral

An indeterminate value between 40 (inclusive) and 50 (exclusive).

“She was a sprightly fortysomething.”

Similar
quadragenarian
OriginEnglish forty ← Middle English fourty ← Old English fēowertiġ →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

numeral

alternative forty-something

  1. colloquialAn indeterminate value between 40 (inclusive) and 50 (exclusive).
nounfortysomething (countable and uncountable, plural fortysomethings)

plural fortysomethings · alternative forty-something

  1. colloquialcountableA person between 40 and 49 years old.

    She was a sprightly fortysomething.

    1 more example

    Some people console themselves with the thought that, basically, worse things happen at sea: in middle-class Britain today, particularly familied fortysomethings, it’s Chicken-Licken time.

    2015 September 13, Euan Ferguson, “The week in TV: Doctor Foster; Beck; Ballers; Hunted; The Queen’s Longest Reign: Elizabeth and Victoria”, in The Observer

    Synonyms: quadragenarian

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA person between 40 and 49 years old.

Similar
quadragenarian
Also see
quadragenarian

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwṓr
  2. Proto-Germanic*fedwōr
  3. Proto-Indo-European*déḱm̥
  4. Proto-Indo-European*déḱm̥-t(-s)
  5. Proto-Germanic*tegun(dz)
  6. Proto-Germanic*tigiwiz
  7. Proto-Germanic*fedwōr tigiwiz
  8. Proto-West Germanic*feuwar tigiwi
  9. Old Englishfēowertiġ
  10. Middle Englishfourty
  11. Englishforty
  12. Englishfortysomething

From forty + -something.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech čtyřicátník
  • čtyřicátníkA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Finnish nelikymppinen
  • nelikymppinenA person between 40 and 49 years in age
French quadragénaire
  • quadragénaireA person between 40 and 49 years in age
German Vierzigjähriger, Vierzigjährige
  • VierzigjährigerA person between 40 and 49 years in age
  • VierzigjährigeA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Hungarian negyvenes
  • negyvenesA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Japanese 四十代
  • 四十代 (yonjūdai)A person between 40 and 49 years in age
Norwegian i førtiåra, i førtiårene
  • i førtiåraA person between 40 and 49 years in age
  • i førtiåreneA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Polish czterdziestolatek, czterdziestolatka
  • czterdziestolatekA person between 40 and 49 years in age
  • czterdziestolatkaA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Spanish cuarentón, cuarentañero
  • cuarentónA person between 40 and 49 years in age
  • cuarentañeroA person between 40 and 49 years in age
  • cuadragenarioA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Tagalog apatnapuin
  • apatnapuinA person between 40 and 49 years in age
Cite this entry
APA

fortysomething. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fortysomething

MLA

“fortysomething.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fortysomething. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fortysomething,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fortysomething.

Source: fortysomething on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.