fourth

American  

[fawrth, fohrth] / fɔrθ, foʊrθ /

adjective

1. next after the third; being the ordinal number for four.

2. being one of four equal parts.

3. Automotive. of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is greater than that of third gear for a given engine crankshaft speed, but not so great as that of fifth gear, if such exists.

   fourth gear.

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noun

fourths plural

1. a fourth part, especially of one (¼).

2. the fourth member of a series.

3. Music.

   1. a tone on the fourth degree from a given tone (counted as the first).

   2. the interval between such tones.

   3. the harmonic combination of such tones.

4. Automotive. fourth gear.

   She downshifted from fifth to fourth as we started up the hill.

5. the Fourth. Independence Day; the Fourth of July.

adverb

1. in the fourth place; fourthly.

fourth British  

/ fɔːθ /

adjective

1. 1. coming after the third in order, position, time, etc. Often written: 4th

   2. ( as noun )

      the fourth in succession

2. denoting the fourth forward ratio of a gearbox in motor vehicles

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noun

1. music

   1. the interval between one note and another four notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale

   2. one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other See also perfect interval diminished

2. the fourth forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

   he changed into fourth as soon as he had passed me

3. a less common word for quarter

adverb

1. after the third person, position, event, etc

1. as the fourth point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fourths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fourth

First recorded before 950; Middle English fourthe, Old English fēowertha; see four, -th ²

Example Sentences

I am an unabashed lover of the Fourth of July.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026

The Fourth of July is freedom day, but if you’re not paying attention, the celebrations might land your furry friends in a shelter kennel.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

And as Europe braces for sweltering conditions, millions of Americans celebrating the July Fourth holiday weekend are already being affected by prolonged extreme heat and high humidity in parts of the central and eastern US.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

What’s News will be off tomorrow in observance of July Fourth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Such police conduct, the Court concluded, does not violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• one-fourth
• part
• portion
• term