fortieth

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'fortieth' is both correct and usable in written English.
It is used to refer to the ordinal number after the 39th item in a sequence. For example, "My fortieth birthday was a great day!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

By then, the Times had moved from its old building, on West Forty-third Street, to the sleek Renzo Piano building, on Eighth Avenue between West Fortieth and West Forty-first Streets.

The New Yorker

A NEW Pew poll, carried out for the fortieth anniversary of the Smithsonian magazine, reveals that Americans continue to exhibit an idiosyncratic faith in both science and fundamentalist religion:Most Americans foresee dramatic technological progress over the next four decades.

The Economist

The bank managed to get its friends to the front of the queue and arranged for them to be paid, very slowly, in sixpences (then worth a fortieth of a pound).

The Economist

The three will face a retrial.Small hopes Rover, a car manufacturer, unveiled a new prototype for a replacement for the Mini on the fortieth anniversary of the original design.

The Economist

The one safe prediction is that the issue will continue to shape the war between left and right for years to come and that the fortieth anniversary of Roe v Wade will be just as acrimonious as the thirtieth.

The Economist

At 400 kilovolts, a standard value for long-distance transmission, an alternating current 30 metres (100 feet) from the ground has a fortieth of the loss of a similar cable at ground level.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Zephyr flies at one-fortieth of that, so the optics its needs to take pictures are far less demanding.

The Economist

Greece is struggling to raise funds, but so is California, which accounts for a far bigger share of America's output (one-eighth) than Greece does of the euro zone's (a bit more than one-fortieth).An important difference in the case of the United States, however, is that the bulk of taxing and public spending is done by the federal government.

The Economist

But at… The Theatre Sibling Rivalry Playwrights Horizons opens its fortieth-anniversary season with the New York première of an absurdist comedy by the prolific Edward Albee: "Me,… Kathakali, born in the Indian state of Kerala in the seventeenth century, is a very stylized dance form.

The New Yorker

The article is doubly timely this week: first, we're deluged with news of another political sex scandal, and second, because Lewinski, who remains in many of our minds a perennial twenty-one-year-old intern, had her fortieth birthday this week.

The New Yorker

The embodied collective memory of Newsweek, a magazine once printed on paper, for almost eighty years as inevitable as Monday — and then as tangible and indispensable as last month's tweets — assembled one recent evening on the third floor of the old Herald Tribune Building, on West Fortieth Street, now occupied by the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fortieth" when specifying an ordinal position in a series or sequence, such as anniversaries, birthdays, or rankings. For example, "the fortieth anniversary" or "the fortieth person in line."

Common error

Don't use the cardinal number "forty" when you need the ordinal "fortieth". "Forty" refers to the quantity, while "fortieth" indicates position in a sequence. For instance, say "the fortieth day" not "the forty day".

Linguistic Context

The word "fortieth" functions primarily as an ordinal adjective, modifying nouns to indicate their position in a sequence. Ludwig's examples showcase it modifying words like "anniversary", "year", and "floor", signifying a specific ordinal position. Ludwig AI confirms this is the most standard usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

3%

Unknown/unmatched sources

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fortieth" is an ordinal adjective used to indicate the position of something in a sequence. Ludwig AI confirms that it is both grammatically correct and usable in written English. It appears most frequently in News & Media contexts, though it is also common in Science and Encyclopedias. When using "fortieth", be sure to distinguish it from the cardinal number "forty". Related phrases include "40th" and "one-fortieth". Ludwig's analysis highlights its clear function, communicative purpose, and generally neutral register, making it suitable for a variety of writing styles.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

40th

This is the numerical abbreviation of "fortieth".

the fortieth item

This phrase explicitly states that something is in the ordinal position, unlike the sole adjective.

the fortieth element

This phrase is used when referring to an element in a set or list, specifying its ordinal position.

one-fortieth

This phrase represents the fractional equivalent of one part out of forty, while "fortieth" can also refer to one of forty equal parts.

in fortieth place

This indicates a ranking or order, similar to "fortieth" when used in a competitive context.

at the fortieth position

This explicitly denotes the position in a sequence, deviating from the succinct nature of "fortieth".

number 40 in a series

This is a descriptive phrase indicating the position in a sequence, diverging from the single-word ordinal.

the ordinal number forty

This is an expanded form, specifying "forty" as an ordinal.

position number forty

Highlights the numbered placement in a series or list.

the fraction 1/40

Expresses the fractional equivalent of "fortieth" as a numerical fraction.

FAQs

How is "fortieth" correctly used in a sentence?

Use "fortieth" as an adjective to describe the position of something in a sequence. For example, "This is the fortieth time I've had to remind you" or "She came in fortieth place in the race".

What's the difference between "fortieth" and "forty"?

"Forty" is a cardinal number representing a quantity, while "fortieth" is an ordinal number indicating position. "Forty" describes how many, and "fortieth" describes which one in order.

Can I use a different phrase instead of "fortieth"?

Depending on context, you could use "40th", "number 40 in a series", or "the "fortieth item"".

Is it ever appropriate to write "40th" instead of "fortieth"?

Yes, "40th" is a common abbreviation and is perfectly acceptable, especially in informal writing or when space is limited. In formal writing, it's preferable to write out "fortieth".