ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sixth

num. · n. · v.
US //ˈsɪksθ// UK //sˈɪksθ// sixth
  1. 1 position in a series (num.)
    A2 Elementary

    coming after the fifth thing in a list or sequence.

    the ordinal number matching the cardinal number six in a sequence.

    Example

    This is the sixth time I have tried to call the office today.

    Example

    The sixth chapter of the report provides a detailed analysis of the fiscal year's unexpected losses.

  2. 2 a fraction (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    one of six equal parts of a whole thing.

    one of six equal parts into which a whole is or may be divided.

    Example

    He ate a sixth of the pizza before realizing it was for the whole group.

    Example

    The inheritance was divided equally, with each sibling receiving exactly one sixth of the total estate.
  3. 3 music interval (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

    the distance between one musical note and the note five steps above it.

    the musical interval between one note and another five scale degrees above it.

    Example

    The melody moves up a major sixth in the very first bar.

    Example

    The composer frequently employed minor sixths to create a sense of melancholy throughout the second movement.

    Usage

    Often specified as 'major' or 'minor' depending on the number of semitones.
  4. 4 to divide by six (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal Technical

    to divide a number or an amount by six.

    to divide a value by six; often used when adjusting fractions or denominators.

    Example

    If you sixth the original amount, you get a much smaller result.

    Example

    The mathematician demonstrated how to sixth the denominator to simplify the complex equation.
    • sextuple
Origin

From earlier sixt, from Middle English sixte, from Old English siexta, from Proto-Germanic *sehstô. By surface analysis, six + -th (ordinal suffix).

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

Last updated June 19, 2026