ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fifty

num. · n.
US //ˈfɪfti// UK //fˈɪfti// fifty
  1. 1 the number 50 (num.)
    A1 Beginner Math

    the number 50.

    the cardinal number between forty-nine and fifty-one.

    Example

    There were fifty people waiting in line for the new shop to open.

    Example

    The survey collected responses from fifty participants across three different age groups to ensure a balanced perspective.

  2. 2 money (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a banknote or coin worth 50 units of money, like dollars or pounds.

    a banknote or coin with a denomination of 50.

    Example

    He paid for the groceries with a fifty and waited for his change.

    Example

    The cashier carefully checked the security features on the fifty before placing it in the register.
    • fifty dollar bill
    • fifty pound note
  3. 3 cricket score (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Sport

    a score of at least 50 runs in a game of cricket.

    a batsman's score of at least 50 runs but fewer than 100 runs.

    Example

    The crowd cheered when the player reached his fifty.

    Example

    After a shaky start, the opening batsman settled in to record a solid fifty, providing the stability the team desperately needed.
    • half century
Origin

PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English fifty, from Old English fīftiġ, from Proto-Germanic *fimf tigiwiz (“five tens”). By surface analysis, five + -ty.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 19, 2026