sixth

noun

ˈsiks(t)th  ˈsiks(t) 

plural sixths

ˈsiks(ts),

ˈsiks(t)ths 

1

: one that is number six in a series

We'll be arriving on the sixth.

Her office is the sixth on the left.

see Table of Numbers

2

: one of six equal parts of something

one sixth of the total

3

a

: a musical interval embracing six diatonic degrees

b

: a tone at this interval

specifically : submediant

c

: the harmonic combination of two tones a sixth apart

sixth adjective or adverb

the book's sixth chapter

the state's sixth largest city

sixthly

ˈsiksth-lē 

ˈsikst-

adverb

Sixthly, don't let your screaming tenor soar an octave above all the balance of the chorus …

—Mark Twain

Examples of sixth in a Sentence

Only about a sixth of the town voted for her.

Recent Examples on the Web

Casey Mize, meanwhile, needed only 59 pitches to bulldoze his way the first five innings; 60, after Duran’s first-pitch leadoff groundout in the sixth. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

Skubal cruised through his first five innings, allowing no runs on just two hits, before the wheels came off in the sixth. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Her schooldays were the happiest of her life, and thirty pages of Curriculum Vitae—one sixth of the book—are reserved for recollections of her teachers. —Frances Wilson september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

The Marlins padded their lead in the sixth. —Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sixth

• sixth chord
• sixth form
• sixth form college
• sixth sense

Kids Definition

sixth

noun

ˈsiks(t)th 

ˈsiks(t)

plural sixths

1

: one that is number six in a series see number

2

: the difference in pitch between the first tone and the sixth tone of a scale

sixth adjective or adverb

sixthly

ˈsiksth-lē 

ˈsikst-

adverb