five

noun

plural fives
Synonyms of fivenext
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 the phrases give one five or slap one five
… Ayton stood up and gave him five in celebration.Duane Rankin
So I slapped him five and hugged him.J. R. Burke
five adjective
five pronoun, plural in construction
see also:

Examples of five in a Sentence

I get off work at five. The store is open until five.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There were cheers and kids begging for high-fives from him. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2026 Mascots for the Washington Nationals baseball team were also seen at the White House that day, waving at the president and giving high-fives to reporters. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026 Boston won games with 18 different starting fives featuring 15 different players. Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026 Girard is undersized at 5-foot-10, but is still adept at keying his teams in transition and controlling the game at five-on-five. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for five

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/five. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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

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