forty-something years
noun phraseUK /ˌfɔːti ˈsʌmθɪŋ jɪəz/
US /ˌfɔːrti ˈsʌmθɪŋ jɪrz/
A number of years that is more than forty but less than fifty.
My grandpa has been a teacher for forty-something years.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A long period of time in someone's life, especially middle age.
After forty-something years of working, she finally retired.
3. An approximate age range between forty and forty-nine.
He is in his forty-something years and still loves to run.
4. A vague way to describe a duration that is a bit more than four decades.
The old bridge stood for forty-something years before it was replaced.