Definition of fifth
fifths
play \ˈfiths, ˈfif(t)ths, ˈfif(t)s\1 : one that is number five in a series — see number table
2a : the musical interval embracing five diatonic degreesb : a tone at this interval; specifically : dominant 1c : 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
fifth
adjective or adverbfifthly
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
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
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Because legislators were unable to cobble together a budget by May 31, lawmakers now need a three-fifths majority to send a spending plan to Gov. Bruce Rauner before July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
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The windowed cabins are suspended on cables and carry up to 109 passengers about three-fifths of a mile (1 kilometer), at up to 17 mph (27 kph).
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Such a change in the law would require a three-fifths vote in both the lower house and the Senate.
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The world has already warmed by just over half that amount -- with about one-fifth of the past heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions coming from the United States, usually from the burning of coal, oil and gas.
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Lange topped that in the Kentucky fifth by striking out three of four batters.
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Mike Moustakas’ solo homer for the Royals in the fifth tied it, and Jorge Bonifacio continued his hot hitting with a game-winning two-run double in the eighth.
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Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Mike Moustakas' solo home run in the fifth tied the game.
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In his only troublesome inning, Janczak got a fly ball to end the fifth after a pair of two-out base hits.
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
First Known Use: before 12th century
FIFTH Defined for English Language Learners
fifth
playDefinition of fifth for English Language Learners
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: number five in a series
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: one of five equal parts of something
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: 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
FIFTH Defined for Kids
Definition of fifth for Students
1 : number five in a series The school year began on the fifth of September.
2 : one of five equal parts I got a fifth of the money.
Learn More about fifth
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See words that rhyme with fifth Spanish Central: Translation of fifth Nglish: Translation of fifth for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fifth for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fifth
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