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

See Examples For:

fourth fourths

Lindsay Johnson: United's defence needs work but they may sneak in fourth.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Analog Devices ADI -3.50%decrease; down pointing triangle reported higher profit and revenue in its third quarter and delivered an upbeat outlook for the fourth, driven by accelerating demand for data center hardware and industrial chips.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Consider it the fourth installment of this back-of-the-plane traveler’s business-class chronicles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Erling Haaland will be hoping for a record-equalling fourth Premier League Golden Boot this season.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

By the fourth page he sat next to her.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

The Jack Berrys, the Bob Pauls, the Hunt brothers, the Lykes brothers, all of them with juniors or thirds or fourths.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

About three fourths were women, 70% were white, and the average age at the start was 74.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026

At meets, Mara racked up prize ribbons: lots of third-places, fourths, fifths, and sixths, the occasional second, the very rare first.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2024

So many people came back for seconds, thirds and even fourths, executives said at the time, that it cut into profit margins.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2024

You will notice that I have not included F to B in the possible menu of perfect fourths.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• one-fourth
• part
• portion
• term