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ninety-nine

ninety-nine

23 1.0
A number that is one less than one hundred
  • numeral
translation icon : noventa y nueve
  • Or even without miracles, ninety-nine percent of my days are just fine.
  • ninety-nine percent
  • ninety-nine years

Examples

  • He ran ninety-nine miles in preparation for the marathon next month.

  • Fever's down to ninety-nine, and he woke up long enough to talk to me.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The leaders of these countries have ruled for a combined total of ninety-nine years.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In virtually ninety-nine percent of the cases, it affects it in a negative way.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I should be able to make it to ninety-nine, don't you think?

    Fiction book (1995)
  • There were thousands of dumping sites around the world, and ninety-nine percent of them caused no problems at all.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Normally, my prospects of coming back alive from a meeting with Nicky were ninety-nine out of a hundred.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Human beings have about 80,000 genes, and we are more than ninety-nine percent identical in our genetic makeup.

    Academic text (2001)
  • 309 EPA projects these standards to reduce dioxin/furan emissions by ninety-nine percent compared to uncontrolled emissions.

    Academic text (1993)
  • There were exactly ninety-nine stars in the night sky according to the astronomer.

How Many

one hundred
194 1.0
ninety-nine
23 1.0
ninety-eight
4 1.0
ninety-seven
6 1.0

Surface Forms

ninety-nine cardinal word
99 cardinal digit
ninety nine cardinal word

Morphology

ninety-nine = ninety + nine (transparent) = ninety + nine

The compound directly combines two cardinal numbers to denote 90 + 9; the meaning is immediately predictable for learners.

Etymology

Ninety-nine is simply made from ninety and nine. A helpful way to remember it is that ninety means 'nine tens', or 'nine groups of ten', so ninety-nine is 'nine tens and nine' and is one less than hundred.