fifty

American  

[fif-tee] / ˈfɪf ti /

noun

fifties plural

1. a cardinal number, ten times five.

2. a symbol for this number, as 50 or L.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. fifties, the numbers, years, degrees, or the like, from 50 through 59, as in referring to numbered streets, indicating the years of a lifetime or of a century, or degrees of temperature.

   She lives in the East Fifties. He's in his late fifties. It's going to be in the fifties again today.

5. Informal. a fifty-dollar bill.

   He had a fifty and two tens in his wallet.

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adjective

1. amounting to 50 in number.

fifty British  

/ ˈfɪftɪ /

noun

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

2. a numeral, 50, L, etc, representing this number

3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 50 units

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to fifty

      fifty people

   2. ( as pronoun )

      fifty should be sufficient

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fifties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fifty

before 900; Middle English; Old English fīftig. See five, -ty ¹

Example Sentences

It would have been "virtually impossible" for such exceptional temperatures to occur in June fifty years ago, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

He’s never bought an item of clothing over fifty dollars.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Knight reached her fifty in 31 deliveries - the quickest she has reached that landmark for England in any format.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

One West Point cadet expressed this viewpoint in his jubilee speech, asking the audience: “What fifty years have ever witnessed greater improvements in science, literature, and politics?”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

“A hundred and fifty years,” she said quietly.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny