five

noun

ˈfīv 

plural fives

1

: a number that is one more than four see Table of Numbers

2

fives plural : a British handball game

3

: the fifth in a set or series

the five of clubs

4

: something having five units or members

especially : a basketball team

5

: a 5-dollar bill

6

: fifteen sense 2

7

: a gesture in which two people slap each other's extended hands (as in greeting or celebration)

—usually used in the phrases give one five or slap one five

… Ayton stood up and gave him five in celebration.

—Duane Rankin

So I slapped him five and hugged him.

—J. R. Burke

five adjective

five pronoun, plural in construction

see also:

high five take five

Examples of five in a Sentence

I get off work at five.

The store is open until five.

Recent Examples on the Web

Boston won games with 18 different starting fives featuring 15 different players. —Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

Girard is undersized at 5-foot-10, but is still adept at keying his teams in transition and controlling the game at five-on-five. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate. —Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

The volunteers exchange high-fives before preparing to break down their camp and return to their day jobs. —ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from five, adjective, from Old English fīf; akin to Old High German finf five, Latin quinque, Greek pente

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing five

• best (out) of three/five/seven
• five-and-dime
• five-and-ten
• five-card stud
• five-finger
• five-hole
• five-o'clock shadow
• five of a kind
• five-spice powder
• five-star
• forty-five
• high five
• hit the big five-oh
• nine-to-five job
• take five

Rhymes for five

• dive
• drive
• hive
• jive
• live
• strive
• thrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive

Kids Definition

five

noun

ˈfīv 

1

: a number that is one more than four see number

2

: the fifth in a set or series

3

: something having five units or members

especially : a basketball team

4

: a 5-dollar bill

5

: a slapping of extended hands by two people (as in greeting or celebration)

I slapped him five after he scored

five adjective or pronoun