fifth

noun · adjective · verb

Simple meaning

The ordinal form of the number five.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

fifth

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈfɪfθ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

One of five equal parts of a whole: one-fifth.
US
A quantity of liquor equal to one fifth of a United States gallon
us
A quantity of liquor equal to one-fifth of an American gallon, or, more commonly, 750 milliliters (that is, three quarters of a liter).
ellipsis or nominalization
The person or thing in the fifth position.
The fifth voice in a polyphonic melody.
chiefly us
Fifth Avenue.

adjective

The ordinal form of the number five.

verb

transitiveinformal
To support something fifth, after four others have already done so.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency: Common
Typical Use: Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: One of five equal parts of a whole: one-fifth.

Used this way, fifth is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: Matter-of-fact
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use fifth

“He was fifth out of several hundred runners.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

fifth amendmentfifth dayfifth gradefifth columnfifth centuryfifth yearfifth editionfifth circuit

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

fifth avenuenounCompound term
An avenue in Manhattan that separates the east side of Manhattan from the west side.
fifth columnnounCompound term
A subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage.
fifth columnistnounCompound term
A member of a clandestine subversive organization who tries to help a potential invader.
fifth cranial nervenounCompound term
The main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles of mastication.
fifth crusadenounCompound term
A Crusade under papal control from 1218 to 1221 that achieved military victories but failed when dissension arose over accepting the terms they had been offered.
fifth lateran councilnounCompound term
The council in 1512-1517 that published disciplinary decrees and planned (but did not carry out) a crusade against Turkey.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: one of five equal parts of a whole

twenty percent

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “fifth” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.