five

noun

ˈfīv 

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

: fifteen sense 2

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:

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

On Tuesday, Taylor welcomed a group of middle-school students touring Spaulding Field with high-fives and fist-pumps. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

When the game finally wrapped, the football players rushed toward the Wildcat Wall, giving high-fives to the students in the front row. — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

At five-on-five, San Jose outscored teams 73-56 with Celebrini on the ice; the Sharks were outscored 113-90 otherwise. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Still energy proved infectious, with the dugout jumping up and down while greeting him with a line of high-fives. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing five

• best (out) of three/five/seven
• five-and-dime
• five-and-ten
• five-card stud
• five-finger
• five-hole
• five-o'clock shadow
• five of a kind
• five-spice powder
• five-star
• forty-five
• high five
• hit the big five-oh
• nine-to-five job
• take five

Rhymes for five

• dive
• drive
• hive
• jive
• live
• strive
• thrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive

Kids Definition

five

noun

ˈfīv 

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