fifth

noun

ˈfith  ˈfif(t)th 

ˈfift

plural fifths ˈfiths 

ˈfif(t)ths,

ˈfif(t)s

1

: one that is number five in a series

Payment is due on the fifth of the month.

see Table of Numbers

2

: one of five equal parts of something

spent a fifth of their income on rent

3

a

: the musical interval embracing five diatonic degrees

b

: a tone at this interval

specifically : dominant sense 1

c

: the harmonic combination of two tones at this interval

4

: a unit of measure for liquor equal to one fifth of a U.S. gallon (0.757 liter)

5

the Fifth : the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

also : the right accorded by the Fifth Amendment to refuse to testify against oneself see also plead the Fifth, take the Fifth

fifth adjective or adverb

the fifth annual food festival

She finished fifth in the race.

fifthly adverb

Fourthly, it takes a lot of concrete to make a nuclear power plant. Fifthly, there is no place to put the waste that is safe.

—Victor Odlivak

Examples of fifth in a Sentence

The bill is due on the fifth of each month.

She donated a fifth of her income to charity.

bought a fifth of whiskey

Recent Examples on the Web

After Triangle rents spiked during the pandemic, a fifth of Raleigh renters now spend more than half of their household income on housing, according to new data from the Census Bureau. —Zachery Eanes, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024

Banks have the largest weight in the index and make up nearly a fifth of the 50 stocks. —Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2024

The result leaves the five-time World Cup winner fifth in the standings with the top six sides automatically earning a spot in the 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. —George Ramsay, CNN, 11 Sep. 2024

Treinen escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the fifth by striking out Daniel Schneemann with an 84-mph sweeper and Thomas with an 85-mph sweeper. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fifte, fifthe, from Old English fīfta, from fīf five

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing fifth

• fifth column
• fifth disease
• fifth wheel
• plead the fifth

Kids Definition

fifth

noun

ˈfith  ˈfif(t)th 

1

: one that is number five in a series see number

2

: the difference in pitch between the first tone and the fifth tone of a scale

fifth adjective or adverb

fifthly adverb