Big Five

American  

noun

History/Historical.

1. the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan during World War I and at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

2. (after World War II) the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, China, and France.

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Big Five British  

noun

1. the five countries considered to be the major world powers. In the period immediately following World War II, the US, Britain, the Soviet Union, China, and France were regarded as the Big Five

2. the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, and the leopard: considered to be the five principal African wild animals, esp as sought by those on safari

3. Also: Big Four.   Big Three.  a small powerful group, as of banks, companies, etc

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Example Sentences

Kruger's fauna -- including the famed Big Five grouping of elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo -- had largely escaped the flooding because animals had sensed the danger and moved to higher lying areas.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Spain is one of Eurovisions’ Big Five countries that donate the most money for the contest, and Ireland has won the second most contests after Sweden, which features former winners like ABBA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

From Big Five houses to small presses, from Amazon to Barnes & Noble to pocket independent stores: We are all descendants of George Putnam.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025

Book publishing used to have a Big Six, but consolidation made it a Big Five, and the latest transaction would have made it a Big Four.

From Slate • May 24, 2024

But on the remaining three traits of the Big Five, the strangers with the clipboards came out on top.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell