Five Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

5️⃣
Add to dictionary

five

[faɪv ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Noun

number

The number five is an odd number that comes after four and before six. It is a numeral representing a quantity equal to 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1.

Examples of usage

  • There are five fingers on a hand.
  • The pentagon has five sides.
  • She scored five goals in the game.
  • I need five more minutes to finish this task.
  • There are five senses in the human body.
Context #2 | Noun

time

Five o'clock is the time on the clock when the hour hand points to the 5 and the minute hand points to the 12.

Examples of usage

  • I have a meeting at five o'clock.
  • Let's meet at five in the evening.
  • The train departs at five.
Context #3 | Noun

years

When we talk about someone's age, the word 'five' refers to the number of years they have lived.

Examples of usage

  • He is just five years old.
  • She celebrated her fifth birthday last week.
Context #4 | Noun

sports

In some sports, such as basketball, a 'five' can refer to the starting lineup of five players on a team.

Examples of usage

  • The coach chose the best five for the game.
  • The five played exceptionally well together.
Context #5 | Noun

music

In music, a 'five' can refer to the musical interval of a perfect fifth, which is a distance of five notes on the musical scale.

Examples of usage

  • The song begins with a beautiful five.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Mathematics

  • Five is a prime number, which means it can only be divided by one and itself without leaving a remainder.
  • In binary code, five is represented as '101', illustrating its representation in digital systems.

Culture

  • In the Chinese culture, the number five holds significance and is associated with the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
  • In Western culture, the concept of 'high five' is a celebratory gesture exchanged between friends or teammates.

Science

  • In biology, there are five senses in humans: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
  • Five is significant in the study of chemistry as it represents the number of orbitals in the second energy level of an atom.

Sports

  • In basketball, teams have five players on the court at any given time, highlighting the importance of teamwork.
  • The Olympic Games feature five interlocking rings, representing the five continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Origin of 'five'

Main points about word origin

  • The word 'five' comes from the Old English 'fīf' and has roots in various languages, including Latin 'quinque' and Greek 'pente'.
  • In many languages, the word for five often sounds similar, such as 'cinco' in Spanish and 'cinq' in French.

The word 'five' can be traced back to the Old English word 'fīf'. In various ancient cultures, the number five was considered significant and often associated with concepts such as balance, harmony, and the five elements. In mathematics, five is a prime number and has many interesting properties. Throughout history, the number five has appeared in religious texts, art, and literature, symbolizing different meanings depending on the context.


See also: fifth.

Word Frequency Rank

With position #232, this word is vital for basic English fluency. It appears very frequently in everyday language and should be among the first words you learn and actively use.