420

Or 4:20
Or 4/20

[fawr-twen-tee, fohr‐]

noun

Slang

1. marijuana.

   Are you carrying any 420 on you?

2. marijuana drug use: The guys at the party were all 420-friendly.

   Police presence at the concert discouraged 420.

   The guys at the party were all 420-friendly.

3. the twentieth day of the fourth month, or the time 4:20, when referenced as a day or time for cannabis consumption or the celebration of marijuana culture.

   The head shop has a big pipe sale every year on 420.

Word History and Origins

Origin of 420¹

First recorded in 1970–75; a code word derived from the meeting time of a particular group of marijuana smokers in 1971, later popularized by fans of the band the Grateful Dead

Example Sentences

At its peak, Musk had around 35 natural-gas turbines at the Colossus site, capable of producing 420 megawatts of power, enough to power the roughly 250,000 homes in the Memphis city limits.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"So now, my seat is not as good and it is double the price. It was £420 last year, now it is £840."

Read more on BBC

The firm, which has 20 UK offices in places such as London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester, had more than 17,000 applications for 420 graduate roles in 2025.

Read more on BBC

Overall, the analysis concluded that 8,420 homes have been rebuilt, 38% of those destroyed in the five fires.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The competition takes place every October in Southwick, near Oundle, and since 1965 has raised more than £420,000 for charities which support the visually impaired.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What is 420?

420 is a slang term (or a kind of code word) referring to marijuana or marijuana use.Due to this association, 420 is also used as the name of an unofficial holiday that marijuana enthusiasts celebrate by using marijuana. It is sometimes called Weed Day (weed is a slang term for marijuana).