fourth estate

American  

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. the journalistic profession or its members; the press.

2. a group other than the usual powers, as the three estates of France, that wields influence in the politics of a country.

---

fourth estate British  

noun

1. (sometimes capitals) journalists or their profession; the press See estate

---

Etymology

Origin of fourth estate

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fourth estate

This view hinges on a low opinion of democracy and the fourth estate that has, to some extent, been borne out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

While the news media is sometimes referred to as the fourth estate, alongside the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, few think of stand-up comedy as a pillar of democracy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2025

With it, however, comes a more uncertain question of what our “mainstream media” really will look like going forward and how the fourth estate will challenge those in power.

From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2024

These are also leaders whose methods reshaped culture, and whose obsession with profit strains against the operating philosophies of an economically challenged fourth estate.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2023

Rumour-mongers are the original fourth estate, journalists who inform society about and thus protect it from cheats and freeloaders.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari