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

The University of Arkansas volleyball team won the opening set and was able to force a fifth, but Denver bounced back to claim a 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 15-10) win in the Buffs Invitational in Colorado on Saturday. —Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025

The Royals, who are desperately clinging to slim playoff odds, now have four-fifths of their Opening Day rotation on the IL after Lugo and Wacha joined Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans on the shelf. —Chad Jennings, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025

All Democrats voted in support of the amendment, joined by 49 Republicans—about one-fifth of the GOP lawmakers. —Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025

At least one-fifth of the hotel’s menus are made up of fully vegetarian or vegan dishes, a benchmark The Langham tracks as part of its EarthCheck certification to show a deliberate shift toward lower-impact dining, not just token side salads. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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