fifty

noun

fif·​ty ˈfif-tē 

plural fifties

1

: a number equal to five times 10 see Table of Numbers

2

fifties plural : the numbers 50 to 59

specifically : the years 50 to 59 in a lifetime or century

3

: a 50-dollar bill

fiftieth

ˈfif-tē-əth 

adjective or noun

fifty adjective

fifty pronoun, plural in construction

fiftyish

ˈfif-tē-ish 

adjective

Examples of fifty in a Sentence

She is in her fifties.

The bill for dinner came to $43, and she gave him a fifty.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most visitors to the site are women, with an average age in the fifties. —Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024

After two marriages – one lasting 24 years and the other lasting two – the Cleveland-area resident in her early fifties didn’t know where to start her search for companionship. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024

These songs, penned by women in their fifties, were just as complex and emotionally honest as their ’90s counterparts by a pair of twentysomethings. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 9 Sep. 2024

The Last Showgirl follows a seasoned showgirl in her fifties whose show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. —Nigel Smith, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from fifty, adjective, from Old English fīftig, from fīftig, noun, group of 50, from fīf five + -tig group of ten; akin to tīen ten

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fifty

• fifty-fifty

Kids Definition

fifty

noun

fif·​ty ˈfif-tē 

plural fifties

: a number equal to five times 10 see number

fiftieth

-tē-əth 

adjective or noun

fifty adjective or pronoun