fifth

noun

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\ ˈfith

, ˈfif(t)th, ˈfift

plural fifths\ ˈfiths

, ˈfif(t)ths , ˈfif(t)s \

Definition of fifth

1 : one that is number five in a series — see Table of Numbers

2a : 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

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

4 capitalized : the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution also : the right accorded by the Fifth Amendment to refuse to testify against oneself —usually used in the phrase take the Fifth

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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 Without it, the Patriots don’t pull off the most memorable comeback in Super Bowl lore, and don’t cement New England’s historic fifth, and penultimate, championship of the Tom Brady era. — BostonGlobe.com, "Which Super Bowl catch was better: Julian Edelman’s or David Tyree’s?," 16 Apr. 2021 In Africa and South Asia a fifth of women with partners are abused each year. — The Economist, "Some ideas for reducing violence against women," 13 Mar. 2021 Over the past five or six years, women have made up around a fifth of total placements in which she has been involved; last year that percentage rose to over 26%. — Martin Giles, Forbes, "IBM, Macy’s And The U.S. Government All Just Appointed Top Female Executives As Their CIOs," 11 Mar. 2021 Overall, the ice shelves along the southern Antarctic Peninsula have lost almost one fifth of their thickness since the early 1990s. — Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, "Stable Antarctic Ice Is Suddenly Melting Fast," 21 May 2015 The case rate per 100,000 residents in Carroll County, also reported as a seven-day rolling average, dropped by nearly 2 percentage points to 9.24%, its lowest point since Nov. 5 and less than one-fifth of the rate (47.58) reported on Jan. 11. — Bob Blubaugh, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "No new COVID-19 cases reported in Carroll County congregate living facilities this week," 18 Feb. 2021 Unlike other states, however, Florida was uniquely challenged by COVID-19 due to over a fifth of its population being over the age of 65. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "DeSantis finds success but little of the plaudits once enjoyed by Cuomo," 17 Feb. 2021 The Press Association reported Sunday that up to a fifth of workers in some U.K. care-home groups refused the vaccine when offered it. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Good news: COVID-19 vaccine skepticism is waning. Bad news: That might not be enough," 22 Jan. 2021 When the pandemic struck last spring, the economy contracted by up to a fifth over the first half of the year, before a summer easing of restrictions saw the economy recover a chunk of those losses. — Pan Pylas, Star Tribune, "Another recession looms for UK economy as lockdowns bite," 15 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fifth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near fifth

fifteener

fifteen-pounder

fifteen-spined stickleback

Statistics for fifth

Last Updated

19 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Fifth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fifth. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for fifth

fifth

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fifth

: number five in a series

: one of five equal parts of something

: a unit of measure for alcoholic liquor that is equal to one fifth of a U.S. gallon (approximately 750 ml) also : a bottle that holds this amount of liquor

See the full definition for fifth in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fifth

adjective

\ ˈfifth