third

adjective

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\ ˈthərd

Definition of third

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : being next after the second in place or time the third taxi in line

b : ranking next after the second of a grade or degree in authority or precedence served as third mate

c : being the forward speed or gear next higher than second especially in a motor vehicle

2a : being one of three equal parts into which something is divisible a third share of the money

b : being the last in each group of three in a series take out every third card

third

noun

Definition of third (Entry 2 of 2)

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

b : one that is next after second in rank, position, authority, or precedence the third in line

2 : one of three equal parts of something a third of the pie

3 : third base

4 : the third forward gear or speed especially of a motor vehicle

5a : the musical interval embracing three diatonic degrees

b : a tone at this interval specifically : mediant

c : the harmonic combination of two tones a third apart

6 thirds plural : merchandise whose quality falls below the manufacturer's standard for seconds

Other Words from third More Example Sentences Phrases Containing third Learn More About third

Examples of third in a Sentence

Adjective We sat in the third row. the third house on the left C is the third letter in the alphabet. That's the third time I've seen him today. The office is on the third floor. Do you have a third choice? a third share in the profits a third pound of cheese Noun The win was his third of the year. a third of the pie Rent costs two-thirds of my paycheck. She divided the cookie into thirds. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Next up, Warren faced Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who’s one of the best young hitters in baseball. — Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 16 May 2022 Benches cleared in the final game of that series when Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado became enraged at an up-and-in pitch from reliever Yoan López. — New York Times, 15 May 2022 Another double play occurred in the sixth, from third baseman Candelario to second baseman Schoop to Torkelson. — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 14 May 2022 After Kingman Academy got one back in the top of the sixth, Round Valley again scored on a throwing error from third baseman Anika Larsen. — Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2022 And sure enough, Franco will be there, too; he’s Washington’s everyday third baseman this season. — Patrick Stevens, Chron, 13 May 2022 Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon made a leaping catch of a Vidal Brujan line drive for the first out. — Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2022 With the game tied at 1, third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. — making his first appearance at Camden Yards after the Orioles passed on him with the first pick of the 2019 draft — singled hard into left field. — Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2022 Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace committed a one-out throwing error to allow Kason Howell on base and Bobby Peirce hit a two-run home run to right field with two outs. — Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 8 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Saturday’s win left the Galaxy third in the Western Conference standings and fourth in the Supporters’ Shield race, two tables currently led by LAFC, which continues to wear down opponents. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2022 Power had been restored to 327,700 customers, or a little more than a third of the 948,000 customers who lost power due to the storm. — Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2021 Romelu Lukaku scored the other goal in the 81st for his third at Euro 2020. ... — Arkansas Online, 22 June 2021 But in the second half, the Spirit quickly pinned the Pride back into their defensive third with an offensive onslaught. — Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, 21 Apr. 2021 But 2020 is the year of the unheard of, so why not add more chaos and bump Oklahoma from Big 12 title contention only a third of the way into the season? — Scott Bell, Dallas News, 9 Oct. 2020 And the city has lost up to a third of its small businesses for good, experts say, which helps explain why its unemployment rate continues to hover above 7% – double the national average. — Alexander Thompson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2022 The Hillers loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, but Shurtleff induced a foul pop up to third to escape the jam. — Brendan Kurie, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2022 Aviation in general faces a pilot shortage, and labor comprises up to a third of operating costs at legacy airlines. — New York Times, 16 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'third.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.