three-quarter
Americanadjective
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consisting of or involving three quarters of a whole or of the usual length.
a blouse with a three-quarter sleeve.
-
(of a portrait) showing the face as seen from in front and somewhat to the side.
a three-quarter view.
adjective
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being three quarters of something
a three-quarter turn
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being of three quarters the normal length
noun
Etymology
Origin of three-quarter
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
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.
That marks two straight quarters of drops, its longest losing streak since a three-quarter losing streak that ended in late 2022—just before the launch of ChatGPT, which kicked off the current artificial-intelligence boom.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
As the exhibition reflects, much of John's work focuses on three-quarter portraits of women, often seated, sometimes reading.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026
That would snap a three-quarter streak of year-over-year declines.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026
Yet in its latest survey, the Business Roundtable finds that more chief executives plan to cut than add jobs for the third straight quarter, the lowest three-quarter reading since the 2007-09 recession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
"Five feet seven and three-quarter inches. One hundred twenty- four and a half pounds."
From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte
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.
