four-wheel drive
Americannoun
-
four-wheel drives
plural
-
a drive system in which engine power is transmitted to all four wheels for improved traction.
-
a vehicle having such a system. 4WD
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of four-wheel drive
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
Now Uber says it has removed its familiar branding from the sides of its four-wheel drive vehicles to avoid provoking a fight with the traditional guides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Bentley's Bentayga SUV accounted for 44% of its sales last year, while Lamborghini is increasingly reliant on its four-wheel drive Urus.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
At its best, the four-cylinder Ranger gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined in both rear- and four-wheel drive.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
Residents described the forest track as "deeply rutted" and a challenge even for four-wheel drive vehicles.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023
Eventually the side streets grew too narrow for the four-wheel drive.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
