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  • fifteen
    fifteen
    noun
    a cardinal number, ten plus five.
  • Fifteen
    Fifteen
    noun
    history the Jacobite rising of 1715

fifteen

American  
[fif-teen] / ˈfɪfˈtin /

noun

  1. a cardinal number, ten plus five.

  2. a symbol for this number, as 15 or XV.

  3. a set of this many persons or things.


adjective

  1. amounting to 15 in number.

fifteen 1 British  
/ ˈfɪfˈtiːn /

noun

  1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and five

  2. a numeral, 15, XV, etc, representing this number

  3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 15 units

  4. a rugby union football team

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

determiner

    1. amounting to fifteen

      fifteen jokes

    2. ( as pronoun )

      fifteen of us danced

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Fifteen 2 British  
/ ˈfɪfˈtiːn /

noun

  1. history the Jacobite rising of 1715

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Spelling tips for fifteen The word fifteen is hard to spell because it doesn’t simply combine the spelling of the base number, five, with the suffix -teen, as is done in other easy-to-remember spellings like fourteen and sixteen.  How to spell fifteen: When five is combined with suffixes, the ve is turned into an f: fifteen (not fiveteen), fifty (not fivety), and fifth (not fiveth). Remember: there’s no v in fifteen.

Etymology

Origin of fifteen

before 900; Middle English, Old English fiftene. See five, -teen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fifteen years ago, in an epic unraveling, McIlroy saw a four-shot Sunday lead evaporate with a collapse at Amen Corner — triple bogey, bogey, double bogey on holes 11, 12 and 13.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Fifteen laws have either been passed or are currently being debated in 11 states.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Fifteen local authorities have signed up to the platform so far, with the government claiming the platform helps to take out "the sting of unfair fines".

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Fifteen “small-market” teams—including the Kansas City Chiefs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Vegas Golden Knights—have won titles in the other three sports since then.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

His future closed about him as he went Fifteen days to Dover was the time assigned to any felon who had taken sanctuary.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White