fifth
gb/fˈɪfθ/ us/fˈɪfθ/
A1
English
~ 4300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
relation
1
Number five in order
Coming after four in a list or series.
Usage pattern:
the fifth [item/person/place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fifth' with 'five', forgetting that 'fifth' is for order, not quantity.
Synonyms
fifthly (An adverb form used in lists, less common in speech.)
Antonyms
fourth (The ordinal number before fifth.)
|
sixth (The ordinal number after fifth.)
Collocations
fifth place
|fifth time
|fifth floor
|fifth day
Themes
numbers
|ordering
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|time
Examples
- She finished in fifth place in the race.
- This is the fifth time I've called you today.
- Our office is on the fifth floor.
- He was the fifth person to arrive.
- The meeting is scheduled for the fifth day of the month.
Learner examples
- I live on the fifth floor.
- This is my fifth book.
- He came in fifth in the game.
- The fifth day is Friday.
- She is the fifth student in line.
Noun
A2
quantity
2
One part out of five equal parts
One part of something that is divided into five equal parts.
Usage pattern:
a fifth of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'a fifth' with 'five', not realizing it means a fraction.
Synonyms
one-fifth (Exact fractional term; interchangeable in most contexts.)
Antonyms
whole (Refers to the entire amount instead of a fraction.)
Collocations
a fifth of the total
|one fifth share
|two fifths
Themes
math
|fractions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A fifth of the class was absent.
- Only a fifth of the cake remained.
- About one fifth of the budget goes to education.
- Two fifths of the land is forested.
- They drank a fifth of whiskey together.
Learner examples
- One fifth of the pizza is left.
- A fifth of my money is gone.
- She ate a fifth of the cake.
- He owns a fifth of the company.
- A fifth of the students are from Spain.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Liquor bottle size (1/5 gallon)
A bottle with about 750 milliliters of alcohol, used in the U.S.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'fifth' here means sequence or fraction, not realizing it refers to bottle size.
Synonyms
750ml bottle (Metric equivalent; more common outside U.S.)
Collocations
a fifth of vodka
|drink a fifth
|buy a fifth
Themes
drinks
|measurements
|food_drink
Examples
- He bought a fifth of whiskey for the party.
- They finished a fifth between them.
- A fifth of rum costs about $20 here.
- She hid a fifth under the counter.
Learner examples
- He bought a fifth of wine.
- They drank a fifth last night.
- I saw a fifth on the table.
- She has a fifth in her bag.
Noun
technical
B2
relation
4
Musical interval of five notes
In music, the distance between two notes that are five steps apart, including both notes.
Common mistake:
Learners might think 'fifth' means 'fifths' as fractions, not realizing it's a music term here.
Synonyms
perfect fifth (Most common type of fifth; specific tuning ratio.)
Antonyms
fourth (A smaller musical interval by one step.)
Collocations
perfect fifth
|play a fifth
|ascending fifth
Themes
music
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The song opens with a perfect fifth interval.
- He practiced playing ascending fifths on the piano.
- A perfect fifth sounds very harmonious in Western music.
- They tuned the strings by matching perfect fifths.
Learner examples
- The music starts with a perfect fifth.
- He can play a fifth on the guitar.
- A perfect fifth sounds nice.
- We learned about a perfect fifth today.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fifth
IPA
GB/fˈɪfθ/
US/fˈɪfθ/
Syllables & stress
fifth (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fifth)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fifth
- Plural: fifths
Word family
Expressions
plead the Fifth
1/plˈid ðə fˈɪfθ/
idiom
Invoke right to remain silent in court
To say you will not answer questions in court because it might make you guilty.
Examples
- She pleaded the Fifth when asked about her business dealings.
- The defendant chose to plead the Fifth on that question.
take the Fifth
1/tˈeɪk ðə fˈɪfθ/
idiom
Refuse to answer questions legally
To not answer a question in court because your answer could make you guilty of something.
Examples
- When asked about his involvement, he decided to take the Fifth.
- The witness took the Fifth during cross-examination.