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

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

Etymology

Origin of fourth

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

Example Sentences

Higgins compiled breaks of 61 and 56 to take the first frame and the fourth to draw level at 2-2.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Shares of Intel edged 0.6% lower to $84.52, marking just their fourth trading session decline this month.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Around 170,300 jobs were lost compared with the fourth quarter, up from 92,500 lost in the same three months of 2025, and the most for a first-quarter period since 2020, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The Lakers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins to hold onto home-court advantage as the fourth seed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

“We have to go to the fourth floor,” Anna May said.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• one-fourth
• part
• portion
• term