six

Six is the natural number that follows five and precedes seven. In the decimal system it is written as 6. It is an even and composite number, with prime factorization 2 × 3. It is the smallest perfect number, since the sum of its proper divisors (1, 2, and 3) equals 6. In geometry, a hexagon has six sides, and a cube has six faces; the number also appears in many six-item groupings and measurements.

In arts and entertainment, Six refers to a British–Irish pop music group formed in 2017 for the stage musical Six, which reimagines Henry VIII’s six wives as contemporary pop icons. The ensemble features rotating performers across productions, and the show’s score has been released as a cast recording and related albums. The musical itself, created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has enjoyed productions in the West End and on Broadway, among others.

In culture more broadly, the phrase six degrees of separation describes a hypothesis that any two people are connected through at most six intermediary acquaintances, a concept used in social networks and communication theory. The number also appears in various phrases, titles, and mathematical and scientific contexts where six serves as a basic counting unit or descriptor.

Etymology and related terms: the English word six comes from Old English sixe, part of a family of numerals in the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language group. The prefix hex- used in terms like hexagon or hexadecimal derives from the Greek word for six.