fourfold

adjective

four·​fold ˈfȯr-ˌfōld How to pronounce fourfold (audio)
-ˈfōld
1
: being four times as great or as many
2
: having four units or members
fourfold adverb

Examples of fourfold in a Sentence

There has been a fourfold increase in membership this year.
Recent Examples on the Web In the end, then, there are just two ways to solve the puzzle of the fourfold exponentiation of π. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2024 That reconfiguration is stretching out peak commute times and leaving a mark on local economies, where happy hours are starting earlier, grocery shopping is moving online, and golf courses are seeing a fourfold uptick in Wednesday afternoon activity. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023 Crude oil prices increased fourfold; job losses mushroomed as factories closed; gasoline was rationed; fights broke out in long gasoline lines; airlines curtailed flights; electricity generation from residual oil was reduced; and fuel allocations for the Defense Department were restricted. John A. Hill, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022 The number of teens seeking therapy at BetterHelp grew nearly fourfold since 2019, a spokeswoman for the online therapy company said. Christine Chung, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2022 Among the complications in pregnancy, preeclampsia is the strongest predictor of heart disease, associated with a fourfold increase in the risk of heart failure and a twofold increase in the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and death due to cardiovascular disease. Nisha Parikh, STAT, 10 Feb. 2023 According to a 2021 study Bennett conducted, an intensive farm with no shade will see a fourfold decline in the total number of bird species there. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023 The benefits of staying active are fourfold: Research shows that physical activity can reduce your risk of developing several common types of cancer, as obesity is a risk factor closely associated with cancer. Lindsay Warner, Outside Online, 9 Aug. 2020 Today, the team is worth nearly $1 billion – a fourfold increase in just over a decade. Dallas News, 23 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fourfold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fēowerfeald, from fēower + -feald -fold

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fourfold was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fourfold

Cite this Entry

“Fourfold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fourfold. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fourfold

adjective
four·​fold -ˌfōld How to pronounce fourfold (audio)
-ˈfōld
: being four times as great or as many

More from Merriam-Webster on fourfold

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