twenty-fifth
C1Formal, Neutral
Definition
Meaning
Constituting number twenty-five in a sequence; the ordinal form of the number 25.
Referring to the 25th day of a month, the 25th item in an ordered series, or celebrating a 25th anniversary (e.g., silver jubilee).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily functions as an ordinal number, determiner, or adjective. Can be nominalised ("the twenty-fifth") to refer to the day or position. Hyphenated when used adjectivally before a noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in form or core meaning. Minor differences may arise in date format (e.g., '25th March' more common in UK vs. 'March 25th' in US), but 'twenty-fifth' functions identically.
Connotations
None specific to either variety.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both varieties; '25th' is the more common written abbreviation.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the twenty-fifth of [MONTH]her twenty-fifth [NOUN, e.g., birthday]on the twenty-fifthVocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Silver jubilee (specifically for 25th anniversary)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in formal reports, anniversary announcements, or milestone references (e.g., 'our twenty-fifth year in operation').
Academic
Used in historical dating, sequence ordering in lists or data sets.
Everyday
Most common for stating dates and celebrating personal anniversaries or birthdays.
Technical
Used for precise sequencing (e.g., the twenty-fifth iteration, the twenty-fifth element).
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- He finished twenty-fifth in the London Marathon.
American English
- She was ranked twenty-fifth nationally.
adjective
British English
- Her twenty-fifth birthday party is next week.
American English
- The twenty-fifth amendment is rarely invoked.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My birthday is on the twenty-fifth of December.
- We will meet on the twenty-fifth to discuss the project.
- The company's twenty-fifth anniversary celebration was a grand event.
- Ratified as the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the US Constitution, it clarifies presidential succession.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a quarter (25 cents) and a 'fist' bump for a 25th celebration – 'twenty-FIFTH' ends like 'fist'.
Conceptual Metaphor
POSITION IN A SEQUENCE IS A LOCATION (e.g., 'coming in twenty-fifth place').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian uses the genitive case for the day in dates (e.g., 'двадцать пятое число'), while English uses the ordinal form as a determiner/adjective ('the twenty-fifth of May').
Common Mistakes
- Writing as 'twenty-five' (cardinal) instead of 'twenty-fifth' (ordinal); omitting the hyphen when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'her twenty fifth birthday' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'twenty-fifth' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'twenty-fifth edition'). It is not hyphenated when used nominally (e.g., 'on the twenty fifth' is incorrect; it should be 'on the twenty-fifth').
The '-fifth' part is pronounced /ˈfɪfθ/, with a clear 'f' sound and a voiceless 'th' (/θ/). It is not pronounced like 'five'.
Yes, when nominalised with 'the' (e.g., 'She was the twenty-fifth to arrive'). It most commonly functions as a noun when referring to a date (e.g., 'The meeting is on the twenty-fifth').
'Twenty five' (or twenty-five) is the cardinal number (25). 'Twenty-fifth' is the ordinal number, indicating position or sequence (25th).