DictionaryfifthOne of five equal parts
noun

fifth

One equal part of a whole divided into five.

Each child receives a fifth of the equally divided cake.

Etymology

Fifth is the ordinal associated with five. Used as a fraction, it names one share when a whole has been divided into five equal shares.

More examples

  • Two fifths of the class walk to school.
  • She saves a fifth of every paycheck.
  • The old label identifies the whiskey bottle as a fifth.

Forms

fifth · fifths

Similar words

fraction
Names a numerical part of a whole, not necessarily one-fifth.
portion
Refers to a share without specifying its exact size.