seventh

1.adjectiveA1

Definition

used to describe the person, thing, or event that comes after number six in a series or list

Example

Ryo finished in seventh place in the school swimming competition.

ordinal before noun: seventh place

The seventh chapter of the novel reveals the identity of the killer.

ordinal before noun: seventh chapter

Usage Note

Frequently used with the definite article 'the' before a noun. For dates, follows the pattern 'the seventh of + month' in British English or 'month + seventh' in American English.

Common Mistakes

I came in seven place.

I came in seventh place.

Ordinal numbers (first, second, seventh) must be used after 'in … place', not cardinals.

Idioms

in seventh heaven

idiom

Feeling very happy and joyful.

Maya was in seventh heaven after winning the art contest.

Are you in seventh heaven now that your team won the championship?

1.nounA2

Definition

each portion when a whole thing is cut into seven pieces of the same size

Example

A seventh of the town's population does not have access to clean water.

a seventh of + population (fraction + of)

Wren divided the chocolate bar into sevenths and shared them with friends.

into sevenths (division)

Common collocations

a seventh of [noun]
into sevenths
one seventh

Grammar Patterns

a seventh of + noun

Usage Note

Often written with numerals: 1/7. As a countable noun, the plural form is 'sevenths'.

Common Mistakes

I ate seventh of the pizza.

I ate a seventh of the pizza.

The article 'a' is needed before the fraction when used as a noun.

2.nounB2

Definition

the distance in pitch that separates two notes on a scale when the higher note lies seven steps above the lower one

Example

The piece begins with a dramatic ascending seventh played by the violins.

ascending seventh (musical interval)

Christopher practiced the dominant seventh interval on his guitar for an hour.

Common collocations

ascending seventh
descending seventh
major seventh
minor seventh
dominant seventh

Usage Note

Commonly modified by adjectives describing the interval's quality: 'major seventh', 'minor seventh', 'dominant seventh'. The interval can be 'ascending' or 'descending'.

3.nounB2

Definition

a group of at least three musical notes played together, built by adding a note that is a seventh higher than the main note below it

Example

The piano piece uses a G seventh chord at the end of the final phrase.

[note name] + seventh chord

Hari learned to play a dominant seventh chord in all twelve keys this semester.

dominant seventh chord

Common collocations

dominant seventh chord
[note] seventh chord
seventh chords

Usage Note

Typically appears as '[note name] seventh chord' (e.g., 'C seventh chord', 'G seventh chord'). The most common type in Western music is the 'dominant seventh chord'.

4.nounA2

Definition

the person, thing, or position that comes after the sixth in an ordered list or group

Example

Théo was the seventh to finish the marathon out of two hundred runners.

the seventh + to-infinitive (person in sequence)

Heloísa is the seventh in line for the promotion at the bank.

the seventh in line (position in queue)

Common collocations

the seventh to [verb]
the seventh in [series]
the seventh [noun]

Antonyms

first

Grammar Patterns

the seventh + to-infinitive

the seventh in + noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from the ordinal adjective sense (adjective/1): as a noun, 'seventh' replaces the noun it modifies ('the seventh runner' → 'the seventh'). Always takes the definite article 'the'.

Common Mistakes

He was seventh to arrive.

He was the seventh to arrive.

The definite article 'the' is required when 'seventh' is used as a noun for a person in a sequence.

Idioms

in seventh heaven

idiom

feeling extremely happy and content, as if in the highest level of paradise

Kemi was in seventh heaven when she received the scholarship offer from the university.

The little boy was in seventh heaven at the amusement park, riding every ride twice.

Word family

seven
numberA1
seventeen
numberA2
seventy
numberA2
seventhly
adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Learners often confuse ordinal and cardinal numbers. 'Seven' (A1) is a cardinal number that tells you how many: 'seven apples'. 'Seventh' (A1) is the ordinal and tells you the position in a sequence: 'the seventh apple in the row'. The main challenge for Taiwanese learners is the English suffix '-th', which does not exist in Chinese ordinals (Chinese uses 第 + number). 'Seventeen' (A2) sounds similar to 'seventh' but refers to the number 17, not position 7. 'Seventhly' (C1) is a rare adverb meaning 'in the seventh position in a list of points' and is mainly used in formal writing or speeches. For example: 'We need seven chairs, but you are the seventh person to arrive.'

seven ↗seventeen ↗seventh ↗seventhly

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

the seventh
one seventh
in seventh place

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'seventh' comes from Old English 'seofunda', which was formed by adding the ordinal suffix '-unda' to 'seofon' (seven). This pattern goes back to the Proto-Germanic language, where the ancestor '*sebundô' was built from '*sebun' (seven) plus the ordinal marker. Across Germanic languages, the word has stayed very similar: German 'siebte', Dutch 'zevende', Swedish 'sjunde'. The suffix '-th' that we use today (replacing the older '-d') entered English from Old Norse influence starting around the 13th century.

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seventh

seventh — adjective

1. used to describe the person, thing, or event that comes after number six in a se

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

in seventh heaven

seventh — noun

1. each portion when a whole thing is cut into seven pieces of the same size

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the distance in pitch that separates two notes on a scale when the higher note l

Usage Note

3. a group of at least three musical notes played together, built by adding a note

Usage Note

4. the person, thing, or position that comes after the sixth in an ordered list or

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

in seventh heaven

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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