thirty-two

noun

thir·​ty-two ˌthər-tē-ˈtü How to pronounce thirty-two (audio)
1
: a number that is one more than 31 see Table of Numbers
2
: a .32 caliber handgun
—usually written .32
thirty-two adjective
thirty-two pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of thirty-two in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
District Nine, which had been sixty per cent Black and twenty-three per cent white, was now thirty-two per cent Black and fifty-eight per cent white. — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 The National Weather Service reported winds of twenty-two miles an hour in the area at the time, with gusts of up to thirty-two miles per hour. — News Desk, Artforum, 19 Oct. 2026 Layla gets thirty-two point five percent in the divorce, and [agent Jimmy Sexton] gets three percent. — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thirty-two

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thirty-two was in the 15th century

Rhymes for thirty-two

See All Rhymes for thirty-two

Browse Nearby Words

thirty-three
thirty-two
thirty-two-foot octave
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Cite this Entry

“Thirty-two.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thirty-two. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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