Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Important notice

The Canadian Style has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca

5.18 Governmental, military and historical designations

(a) Write out numbers of dynasties, governing bodies, and sessions of Parliament or Congress as ordinals:

  • First International
  • Third Reich
  • Fifth Republic
  • Twenty-fourth Dynasty
  • Thirty-second Parliament
  • Ninety-seventh Congress

(b) Write out ordinal numbers below 100 designating political and administrative divisions:

  • Fifth Ward
  • Tenth Circuit Court
  • Fifteenth Precinct
  • Twenty-second District

(c) Designations of large military units, especially in a foreign or historical context, may be written out in ordinals; otherwise use cardinal numerals:

  • Sixth Fleet
    5 Combat
            Engineer Regiment
  • First Canadian Army
    422 Tactical
            Helicopter quadron

(d) Write out numbers in historical, biblical or formal references:

  • the Third World
  • the Ten Commandments
  • the Twelve Apostles
  • the Thirteen Colonies