five

noun

plural fives
1
: a number that is one more than four see Table of Numbers
2
fives plural : a British handball game
3
: the fifth in a set or series
the five of clubs
4
: something having five units or members
especially : a basketball team
5
: a 5-dollar bill
6
7
: a gesture in which two people slap each other's extended hands (as in greeting or celebration)
usually used in phrases with give or slap
So I slapped him five and hugged him.J. R. Burke
five adjective
five pronoun, plural in construction

see also high five, take five

Examples of five in a Sentence

I get off work at five. The store is open until five.
Recent Examples on the Web This chart week is just beginning, so Carpenter will claim her three top fives for the next few days. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 The first attempts at Squads used military terms for the different roles — with majors looking over captains — and the students were grouped into twos and fives before Dent and his entourage finally settled on groups of three. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024 His technique was to re-pattern the bones, turn the sixes up, the fives aligned and facing each other. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 19 July 2023 The Raen Keera frames scored perfect fives across the board during testing thanks to their UVA and UVB protection and their sturdy and secure fit that doesn’t slip or pinch. Jaylyn Pruitt, Health, 14 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for five 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'five.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from five, adjective, from Old English fīf; akin to Old High German finf five, Latin quinque, Greek pente

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of five was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near five

Cite this Entry

“Five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/five. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

five

noun
1
: a number that is one more than four see number
2
: the fifth in a set or series
3
: something having five units or members
especially : a basketball team
4
: a 5-dollar bill
5
: a slapping of extended hands by two people (as in greeting or celebration)
I slapped him five after he scored
five adjective or pronoun

More from Merriam-Webster on five

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