fifth
fihfth
Fifth (adj) means coming after four others in a sequence; the ordinal form of five. Example: “Tomorrow is the fifth day of our trip to the coast.”
adj
1
Coming after four others in a sequence; the ordinal form of five.
"Tomorrow is the fifth day of our trip to the coast."
"She sat in the fifth row from the front."
"He finished fifth in the marathon."
noun
1
One of five equal parts of something.
"A fifth of the class walked to school this morning."
"Only a fifth of the pizza was left after dinner."
"She owns a fifth of the company’s shares."
2
A bottle of liquor equal to about 750 milliliters, historically one-fifth of a US gallon.
"A fifth of vodka sat on the counter next to the glasses."
"The bar owner bought a fifth of gin for the new cocktail."
"He picked up a fifth of whiskey on the way home."
How to use fifth
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNumber five in order, one part out of five, or (in American usage) a standard-size liquor bottle.
UK vs US
The "bottle of liquor" sense is chiefly American.
Common pairings
a fifth of vodka
finish in fifth
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Word forms
- Plural
- fifths
- Third person singular
- fifths
- Past tense
- fifthed
Fill the gap
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Tomorrow is the _____ day of our trip to the coast.
Etymology
From Old English fifta, built from "five" plus the ordinal ending "-th."
Synonyms
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5th
one-fifth
fifth part
twenty percent
Rhymes for fifth
See all rhymes for fifth →Frequently asked questions
What does “fifth” mean?
The word “fifth” means coming after four others in a sequence; the ordinal form of five. In plain terms, number five in order, one part out of five, or (in American usage) a standard-size liquor bottle.
How do you pronounce “fifth”?
“Fifth” is pronounced fihfth (/fɪfθ/ in IPA).
How do you use “fifth” in a sentence?
Here is “fifth” used in a sentence: “He finished fifth in the marathon.”
What part of speech is “fifth”?
Depending on how it is used, “fifth” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “fifth” come from?
The word “fifth” comes from Old English. From Old English fifta, built from "five" plus the ordinal ending "-th.".
Is “fifth” a common word?
“Fifth” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “fifth” have?
“Fifth” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: coming after four others in a sequence; the ordinal form of five.
What is the difference between 'fifth' and 'five'?
'Five' is a cardinal number that tells you how many — five apples. 'Fifth' is the matching ordinal, telling you position in a sequence — the fifth apple, meaning the one after four others. Cardinals count quantity; ordinals like 'fifth' rank order. It is the ordinal form of the number five.
How do you spell the ordinal of five?
It's spelled 'fifth' — f-i-f-t-h. Note that although it comes from 'five,' the 'v' changes to an 'f' before the '-th' ending. The numeral form is written '5th.' A common misspelling is 'fith,' leaving out the first 'f' sound that many people don't fully pronounce.
What are other meanings of 'fifth'?
Beyond ranking fifth in order, 'a fifth' can mean one of five equal parts of something. In music, a 'fifth' is a common interval between two notes. In the United States, a 'fifth' is a bottle of spirits of a certain size, and 'pleading the Fifth' refers to a legal right.
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