fifty-fifty

American  

[fif-tee-fif-tee] / ˈfɪf tiˈfɪf ti /

Or 50-50

adjective

1. equally good and bad, likely and unlikely, favorable and unfavorable, etc..

   a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

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adverb

1. in an evenly or equally divided way.

   The board voted fifty-fifty on the merger.

idioms

1. go fifty-fifty (on), to share equally in the cost, responsibility, or profits (of ).

   We went fifty-fifty on the dinner check.

fifty-fifty British  

adjective

1. informal shared or sharing equally; in equal parts

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fifty-fifty More Idioms  

1. see under under go halves.

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Etymology

Origin of fifty-fifty

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

He practiced what Mr. Leeke calls “the fifty-fifty defense”: When he was unsure of a call, he had a 50% chance of guessing correctly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Squid born in early July had a fifty-fifty chance of using either tactic.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

There's a fifty-fifty chance over the next five years that we'll go over this important marker of temperature increases, compared to pre-industrial times.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2022

For Australia's Reserve Bank, bets are fifty-fifty for a half-point or quarter-point hike on Tuesday.

From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2022

Their only disagreement involved the division of ownership: Gaither proposed an eighty-twenty split in Fawrence’s favor, and Fawrence insisted on fifty-fifty.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• accommodation
• accord
• adjustment
• arrangement
• bargain
• concession
• deal
• pact
• settlement
• understanding