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one-third

one-third

129 1.0
One of three equal parts of a whole
  • noun
  • /wʌn θɜrd/
translation icon : tercio
  • One-third of the candidates are American.
  • about one-third
  • approximately one-third
  • nearly one-third

Everywhere in public life, women have to have one third.

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Examples

  • A woman can now expect to spend more than one-third of her life in a postmenopausal state.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In both countries, one quarter to one third of respondents recommended political action.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We can take over one third of the southern land.

  • Now only one third of them are actually English language learners.

  • I mean, one third of the natural world has been destroyed in your lifetime.

  • About two-thirds of that amount was covered by private insurance, and one-third was direct losses.

    Academic text (1990)
  • In some parts of London, one-third of all online credit card transactions are fraudulent.

  • By the year 2050, nearly one-third of the U.S. population is expected to be over age 65.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Manufacturing employment more than doubled from 1956 to 1972, accounting for one-third of all jobs created during that period.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We can take over one-third of the southern land.

Synonyms

third
vsone-third
605 1.0

One of three equal parts of something

has identical meaning but appears in hyphenated or numeric written forms

Antonyms

182 1.6

An amount equal to two of three equal parts of a whole

How Large

whole
484 1.0
two-thirds
182 1.6
one-half
61 1.0
one-third
129 1.0
one-tenth
18 1.0

Surface Forms

one-third singular
one-thirds plural

Morphology

one-third = one + third (transparent) = one + third

The meaning is directly composed from 'one' + 'third' (one of three equal parts), which learners who know 'one' and 'third' can derive.

Etymology

One-third is simply the number one ('1') plus third ('one of three parts'), so it literally means one of three equal parts, or 1/3.