five

American  

[fahyv] / faɪv /

noun

• fives
  plural

1. a cardinal number, four plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, as 5 or V.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with five pips.

5. Informal. a five-dollar bill.

   Can you give me two fives for a ten?

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adjective

1. amounting to five in number.

idioms

1. take five, to take a brief respite.

five British  

/ faɪv /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

2. a numeral, 5, V, etc, representing this number

3. the amount or quantity that is one greater than four

4. something representing, represented by, or consisting of five units, such as a playing card with five symbols on it

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to five

      five minutes

      five nights

   2. ( as pronoun )

      choose any five you like

five More Idioms  

1. see take five.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of five

before 1000; 1925–30 five for def. 7; Middle English; Old English fīf; cognate with Dutch vijf, German fünf, Old Norse fimm, Gothic fimf, Latin quīnque, Greek pénte, Sanskrit pancha

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

five fives

Garcia argued Jester should receive the longest punishment allowed by law — five years — because he’d squandered an earlier chance at redemption.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

"It means so, so much to me because the past months were not easy," said Swiatek, who will return to the top five in the rankings following her first Canadian final victory.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the property boasts ample space for large families—or for those seeking a private beach sanctuary where they can entertain friends and loved ones.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Within the first hour, it had booked five marriages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Not for the first time in the past five days, I find myself searching for a plausible story.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

He profited from the two front-nine par fives to pick up three birdies by the turn and lead by one.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

When Tinsley ended the inning on a swinging strikeout, she ripped off her mask and screamed as her teammates poured out the dugout to give her high fives.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026

Manny Farber said that when he was about 4 years old, his father demonstrated to him how a computer worked by writing a computer program on the fly that could count to 100 by fives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

Rahm has failed to add to eight major top fives, including two wins, accrued before leaving the PGA Tour.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

“She stole our hearts, and she stole our souls, and she took our fives away, and she left us here, and she forgot about us in the dark.”

From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman