fifth

American  

[fifth, fith] / fɪfθ, fɪθ /

adjective

1. next after the fourth; being the ordinal number for five.

2. being one of five equal parts.

3. Automotive. of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is greater than that of fourth gear for a given engine crankshaft speed.

   fifth gear.

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adverb

1. in the fifth place; fifthly.

noun

1. a fifth part, especially of one (1/5).

2. the fifth member of a series.

3. a fifth part of a gallon of liquor or spirits; 4/5 (0.8) of a quart (about 750 milliliters).

4. Automotive. fifth gear.

5. Music.

   1. a tone on the fifth degree from another tone (counted as the first).

   2. the interval between such tones.

   3. the harmonic combination of such tones.

idioms

1. plead the Fifth, to decline on the basis of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to answer a question when testifying. Also take the Fifth

fifth British  

/ fɪfθ /

adjective

1. 1. coming after the fourth in order, position, time, etc. Often written: 5th

   2. ( as noun )

      he came on the fifth

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noun

1. 1. one of five equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, measurement, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a fifth part

2. the fraction equal to one divided by five ( 1/ 5 )

3. music

   1. the interval between one note and another five notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale

   2. one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other See also perfect diminished interval

4. an additional high gear fitted to some motor vehicles

adverb

1. Also: fifthly.  after the fourth person, position, event, etc

1. Also: fifthly.  as the fifth point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument

fifth More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fifth

• take the fifth

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Etymology

Origin of fifth

First recorded before 1000; earlier fift, Middle English fifte, Old English fīfta; -th by analogy with fourth, etc.

Example Sentences

About a fifth of the world’s crude and crude products pass through the strait in times of peace.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

About a fifth of the nation’s workforce is involved in the agriculture sector, meaning any decisions by farmers to reduce production has knock-on effects across the entire economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The Englishman took the fifth and sixth frames on the black after capitalising on errors from his opponent and controlled the seventh.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The strait is deep enough for the world's biggest tankers carrying crude oil, and when everything is running normally, a fifth of the world's oil is transported through it from Middle East oilfields.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

A few years after that they skipped me over fifth grade as well.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson