fourfold

American  

[fawr-fohld, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌfoʊld, ˈfoʊr- /

adjective

1. comprising four parts or members.

2. four times as great or as much.

---

adverb

1. in fourfold measure.

fourfold British  

/ ˈfɔːˌfəʊld /

adjective

1. equal to or having four times as many or as much

2. composed of four parts

---

adverb

1. by or up to four times as many or as much

Etymology

Origin of fourfold

before 1000; Middle English foure fald, Old English feowerfealdum. See four, -fold

Explanation

If your salary increases fourfold when you get a new job, it means that your income is four times larger than it used to be. Use the adjective fourfold when something is four times as big, or when it's been multiplied by four. You're almost always going to see fourfold accompanied by the word increase. For example, making class sizes smaller and school days longer might result in a fourfold increase in test scores. Or sticking to your pledge of not buying fancy coffee drinks could lead to a fourfold increase in available pocket change each week.

Example Sentences

Its population grew fourfold, and its landmass doubled after Jefferson’s 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The Toronto-based company posted $2.8 million in revenue, a fourfold increase from the $700,000 it reported last year.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

The network has grown fourfold from under 300km to more than 1,000km by 2025.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Investors eager to gain exposure to the AI boom have since sent its shares vaulting more than fourfold from their IPO price, pushing the company’s market capitalization past $30 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

He adopted the slang of the illegal trade, increasing his English vocabulary fourfold.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides