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

In terms of total latency between 4K60 and 1080p120, the Roku Pro Series beats the U6SF Pro by a fifth of a millisecond, earning our latest PCMag Lab Award for lowest input lag. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Offensive line Among the 17 players who logged snaps on offense, PFF rated Aaron Brewer fourth, Patrick Paul fifth, Kadyn Proctor ninth, Jonah Savaiinaea 11th and Austin Jackson 13th. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

Woodring’s extra point kick, his fifth of the game, made the score 38-6 and set a new SEC record for most consecutive extra point kicks made without a miss (201). — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026

That compares to roughly one-third of homeowners in the north and central regions who paid $3,000 or more, and roughly one-fifth who paid in excess of $4,000. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

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