Meanings
alternative 'fifties
- pluralplural onlyThe sixth decade of a century: the 1850s, 1950s, 2050s, etc.
I will probably be dead by the fifties.
3 more examples
In the past few years, fifties diners have sprung up all over town.
The fifties were the heyday of the excursion train, with the 1851 Exhibition naturally giving a great boost to such traffic.
1954 June, R. Marchant, “Early Excursion Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 427America in the fifties also had its share of reactionary political violence.
2025 August 5, Danny Goldberg, “A Guest Post By Danny Goldberg: Culture, Empathy And Resistance”, in DownWithTyranny, archived from the original on 23 Dec 2025 - pluralplural onlyThe decade of one's life from age 50 through age 59.
You don't really start living until you're in your fifties!
2 more examples
[…] doing variations on Old Devil Moon on trumpet, backed by an aging hippy on drums, a stringbeany, college student type on upright bass, and a balding man in his fifties playing an effectively understated piano.
2002, Laurance L. Priddy, Critical Evidence, page 96Albrecht Lein reports that the core of the Braunschweig Antifa was made up of KPD and SPD members in their forties and fifties who had avoided the front, though Catholic workers’ organizations and other forces were also involved.
2017 May 28, Loren Balhorn, “The Lost History of Antifa”, in Jacobin Magazine, archived from the original on 18 Mar 2025 - pluralplural onlyratestemperatureThe range between 50 and 59 Fahrenheit.
It can't snow tonight; it's forecast to be in the fifties!
alternative 'fifties
- not comparableFrom or evoking the 51st through 60th years of a century (chiefly the 1950s).
Don't bring ambrosia, this isn't a fifties potluck.
1 more example
As they inspect the message, "Happy B-day Netta," the bakery clerk places four plastic figures around the edges of the cake. The figures have fifties hairstyles and clothing, and they are in rock 'n roll dancing poses.
2008, Gabriella Gahlia Modan, Turf Wars: Discourse, Diversity, and the Politics of Place, Wiley, →ISBN, page 4
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 五十年代, 50年代
- 五十年代 (wǔshí niándài)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- 50年代 (wǔshí niándài)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Danish halvtredserne
- halvtredserneThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Dutch jaren vijftig, jaren 50
- jaren vijftigThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- jaren 50The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- jaren 1950The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Finnish viisikymmentäluku
- viisikymmentälukuThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
French années cinquante, années 50
- années cinquanteThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- années 50The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
German fünfziger Jahre, Fünfziger
- fünfziger JahreThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- FünfzigerThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Hungarian ötvenes évek
- ötvenes évekThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Irish caogaidí
- caogaidíThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Japanese 五十年代, 50年代
- 五十年代 (gojū-nendai)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- 50年代 (gojū-nendai)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Korean 오십년대, 50년대
- 오십년대 (osimnyeondae)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- 50년대 (osimnyeondae)The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Norwegian Bokmål 1950-tallet
- 1950-talletThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Polish lata pięćdziesiąte, lata 50.
- lata pięćdziesiąteThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- lata 50.The decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Spanish años cincuenta
- años cincuentaThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Swedish femtiotalet, femtiotal
- femtiotaletThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
- femtiotalThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Welsh pumdegau
- pumdegauThe decade of the 1850s, 1950s, etc.
Cite this entry
fifties. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fifties
“fifties.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fifties. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fifties,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fifties.
Source: fifties on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.