fifth

noun \ ˈfith , ˈfif(t)th , ˈfift \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of fifth

plural fifths play \ˈfiths, ˈfif(t)ths, ˈfif(t)s\

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

2 a : the musical interval embracing five diatonic degrees

b : a tone at this interval; specifically : dominant 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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fifth

adjective or adverb

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fifthly

adverb

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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 of fifth from the Web

Any measure to raise the debt ceiling would need to be passed by Congress with a three-fifths supermajority.

— cnn's capitol hill team, CNN, "Congress returns to Zuckerberg hearing, confirmation fights," 9 Apr. 2018
The census launched with the three-fifths compromise The main purpose of the census is collecting data that will determine how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "The Debate Over a New Citizenship Question Isn't the First Census Fight. Here's Why the Count Is Controversial," 27 Mar. 2018
Our founding document counted African Americans as three-fifths of a person.

— ezra klein, Vox, "Sam Harris, Charles Murray, and the allure of race science," 27 Mar. 2018
The charter clearly lays out how utilities can be sold and directs that such sales are subject to three-fifths majority approval by voters.

— paul jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, "The ML&P sale could be great for Anchorage, but the process should be more open," 3 Mar. 2018
Reform requires a constitutional amendment, which must be passed by three-fifths majorities in both houses of congress.

— The Economist, "Parading towards disasterMichel Temer is trying to fix Brazil’s pension systems," 15 Feb. 2018
Kemp has surprised most in that he is expected to be a starter on the Dodgers opening-day roster and McCarthy and Kazmir may form two-fifths of the Braves starting pitching rotation.

— john cherwa, latimes.com, "Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir miss the Dodgers, but they're happy to be in Atlanta," 24 Mar. 2018
Also, about one fifth of all pedestrian traffic fatalities are from hit and run collisions.

— nick stockton, WIRED, "As Pedestrian Deaths Spike, Scientists Scramble for Answers," 22 Mar. 2018
Its shares, down 46% so far this year, are trading around a fifth of their debut price of $10 last July.

— heather haddon, WSJ, "Blue Apron to Sell Meal Kits in Stores to Buttress Sagging Deliveries," 15 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of fifth

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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FIFTH Defined for English Language Learners

fifth

noun

Definition of fifth for English Language Learners

: 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