Meaning & use
V
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Meanings
nouncountable
The twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, and its lowercase form v.
Grammar: Plural is Vs or V's: There are two Vs in 'vacuum'.
Patterns
- the letter V
- a capital V
- a lowercase v
The word 'victory' starts with a V.
Please write your name in capital letters, starting with a V.
There is a V in the middle of the word 'love'.
number
The Roman numeral representing the number five.
Grammar: Used in Roman numerals; often written in uppercase: V.
Patterns
- Roman numeral V
- V means five
The Roman numeral V stands for five.
In the number VIII, the V represents five and the III represent three, making eight.
The clock face had Roman numerals, with V at the bottom.
abbreviationtechnical
A short way to write 'volt', a unit of electrical force.
Grammar: Often written with a number: 12V.
Patterns
- 12V
- a 9V battery
This battery is 9V.
The device requires a 12V power supply.
Check the voltage; it should be 220V.
abbreviationsportlegal
A short way to write 'versus', meaning against, especially in sports or legal cases.
Grammar: Often written with a period: v. or vs.
Patterns
- team A v team B
- Roe v Wade
The match is Brazil v Germany.
The case is known as Brown v. Board of Education.
Tonight's game is Lakers v Celtics.
Word forms
| plural | Vs |
|---|---|
| plural | V's |
Common combinations
- V-neck
- She wore a V-neck sweater.
- V-sign
- He made a V-sign with his fingers.
- V for victory
- During the war, people made a V for victory sign.
- V-8
- The car has a powerful V-8 engine.
Commonly confused: V or B?
V vs B
V and B are different letters; V has a voiced sound, B is a plosive.
Practice
What does the Roman numeral V represent?
Choose one answer.
In Roman numerals, V stands for five. X is ten, L is fifty, and C is one hundred.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “V”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.