Standard Lemma guide

forties

adj · name · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R T IY0 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

From or evoking the 41st through 50th years of a century (chiefly the 1940s).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Two forties aircraft sat forgotten in the hangar until they were rediscovered by two trespassing teens.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A sea area, in the northern part of the North Sea, where the depth of water is consistently forty fathoms

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

plural of forty

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The fifth decade of a century: the 1840s, 1940s, 2040s, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

Examples

  • My ma was born in the forties and my pa was born in the seventies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: '40s, 40s

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The decade of one's life from age 40 through age 49.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

Examples

  • They're both in their forties.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The range between 40 and 49.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

Qualifier: rates

Topics: temperature

Examples

  • What to wear when the weather is in the forties really depends on whether you're talking fahrenheit or celsius.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the time of life between 40 and 50

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mid-forties

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time of life

8

noun

Meaning 8

the decade from 1940 to 1949

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: 1940s

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decade, decennary, decennium

History

Etymology

From forties, due to the dpth of the area.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 四十年代 (sìshí niándài) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Chinese Mandarin: 40年代 (sìshí niándài) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Dutch: jaren veertig — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Dutch: jaren 40 — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Dutch: jaren 1940 — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Finnish: neljäkymmentäluku — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Finnish: nelikymmenluku — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • French: années quarante — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • French: années 40 — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Georgian: ორმოციანები (ormocianebi) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Georgian: 40-იანები (40-ianebi) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Georgian: ორმოციანი წლები (ormociani c̣lebi) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Georgian: 40-იანი წლები (40-iani c̣lebi) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • German: vierziger Jahre — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • German: Vierziger — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Hungarian: negyvenes évek — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Italian: quarantenne — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Italian: anta — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Italian: anni quaranta — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Japanese: 四十年代 (yonjū-nendai) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Japanese: 40年代 (yonjū-nendai) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Korean: 사십년대 (sasimnyeondae) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Korean: 40년대 (sasimnyeondae) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Polish: lata czterdzieste — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Polish: lata 40. — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Russian: сороковы́е (sorokovýje) — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Spanish: años cuarenta — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Spanish: década de 1940 — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Swedish: fyrtiotalet — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Swedish: fyrtiotal — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Welsh: deugeiniau — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
  • Welsh: pedwardegau — the decade of the 1840s, 1940s etc
Real reading context

forties in complete knowledge articles