four-star
Americanadjective
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of or being a full general or admiral, as indicated by four stars on an insignia.
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rated or considered as being of the highest quality, especially as indicated by four printed stars assigned in some rating systems.
a four-star restaurant.
Etymology
Origin of four-star
First recorded in 1920–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But once the four-star Gardena Serra product made it to Oregon for his first year of college football, he struggled to adapt and get situated in Eugene, Ore., — he needed another older brother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The Telegraph awarded four stars to the "spellbinding spectacle", while the Guardian's four-star review said it features "spectacular stagecraft and plenty of modern resonance".
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Public rebukes followed Hegseth’s decision last month to effectively fire Gen. Chris Donahue, a respected four-star commander who came up the ranks through the special forces.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Not all critics were so damning, however - the New York Post celebrated Elle as a "sparkling good time" and NME, in a four-star review, calls it a "hot pink delight".
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
It isn’t the Plaza Hotel four-star service, but it will do.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
