# seventh

/ˈsɛvənθ/ (US) · /sˈɛvənθ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/seventh
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. position in a sequence

numeral · CEFR A2

coming after the sixth and before the eighth.

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

- It was her seventh birthday, so she got seven small presents.
- The runner collapsed just before reaching the seventh lap, exhausted by the humid conditions and the aggressive pace set by the leaders.

### 2. a fraction

noun · CEFR B1

one of seven equal parts of something.

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

- He ate a seventh of the cake before the guests even arrived.
- The inheritance was divided strictly, with each sibling receiving exactly one seventh of the total estate value.

### 3. musical interval

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

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

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

- The song ends on a major seventh, which gives it a dreamy sound.
- The composer used a diminished seventh to create a sense of unresolved tension before the final movement.

## Examples

- The song ends on a beautiful major seventh.
- Jazz musicians frequently add a seventh to a standard triad to create a more complex and sophisticated chord sound.
- The tension in the dominant seventh chord naturally resolves toward the tonic, providing the harmonic drive necessary for the final cadence of the piece.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.