thirty-something
thirty-something
UK[ˈθɜːti sʌmθɪŋ]US[ˈθɜːrti sʌmθɪŋ]
n
An age between thirty and thirty-nine years old.
n
A person who is between thirty and thirty-nine years old.
adj
Being between thirty and thirty-nine years old.
Morpheme Breakdown
thirty
something
thirty
number
something
unspecified thing
Etymology
The term is a modern English compound, formed in the late 20th century by combining the cardinal number "thirty" with the indefinite pronoun "something." It follows a productive pattern in English for indicating an approximate age range, such as "twenty-something" or "forty-something." The logic is transparent: "thirty" anchors the decade, while "something" denotes an unspecified number within that decade, collectively referring to the period or a person within their thirties. This construction reflects a cultural tendency to categorize life stages by decades while allowing for vagueness about the specific year.
Analysis
Structure: thirty (number) + something (unspecified thing)
- thirty: From Old English þrītiġ, related to þrīe (three). A cardinal number.
- something: From Old English sum (some) + þing (thing). An indefinite pronoun.
Examples
She's a successful entrepreneur in her thirty-something years.
The magazine's target audience is the thirty-something demographic.
He described himself as just a thirty-something trying to figure things out.