one-fifth

UK: wʌn ˈfɪfθ | US: wʌn ˈfɪfθ

Definition

  1. n. one of five equal parts of something; the quotient of 1 divided by 5

Structure
one <the number 1>fifth <ordinal form of five>
Etymology

The word "one-fifth" is a compound formed by combining "one" (from Old English "ān," meaning the numeral 1) and "fifth" (from Old English "fīfta," derived from "fīf," meaning five). The suffix "-th" converts cardinal numbers into ordinals (e.g., five → fifth). The hyphenated form explicitly denotes a fractional quantity, reflecting its logical construction in English for precise mathematical expression.

Examples

  1. She owns one-fifth of the company's shares.

  2. Only one-fifth of the participants completed the survey.

  3. The recipe calls for one-fifth teaspoon of salt.

  4. He donated one-fifth of his income to charity.

  5. The population has decreased by one-fifth in the last decade.