ENGLISH
REFERENCE

seventh

num. · n.
US //ˈsɛvənθ// UK //sˈɛvənθ// sev·enth
  1. 1 position in a sequence (num.)
    A2 Elementary

    coming after the sixth and before the eighth.

    the ordinal number matching the cardinal number seven, indicating a position in a series.

    Example

    It was her seventh birthday, so she got seven small presents.

    Example

    The runner collapsed just before reaching the seventh lap, exhausted by the humid conditions and the aggressive pace set by the leaders.

  2. 2 a fraction (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Math

    one of seven equal parts of something.

    one of seven equal parts into which a whole is divided.

    Example

    He ate a seventh of the cake before the guests even arrived.

    Example

    The inheritance was divided strictly, with each sibling receiving exactly one seventh of the total estate value.

  3. 3 musical interval (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Music

    the seventh note in a scale, or the distance between the first and seventh notes.

    the seventh degree of a diatonic scale, or the interval between the tonic and this degree.

    Example

    The song ends on a major seventh, which gives it a dreamy sound.

    Example

    The composer used a diminished seventh to create a sense of unresolved tension before the final movement.

Origin

From Middle English seventhe, sefte, from Old English seofoþa, from Proto-West Germanic sebundō, from Proto-Germanic sebundô. The -n-, lost in northern Proto-West Germanic, was later reinserted by analogy with seven, equivalent to seven + -th.

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

Last updated June 19, 2026