fourth

noun

ˈfȯrth 

plural fourths ˈfȯr(th)s 

1

: one that is number four in a series

I was the fourth to arrive.

They arrive on the fourth. [=the fourth day of the month]

see Table of Numbers

2

: one of four equal parts of something : quarter entry 1

Cut the cake into fourths.

a fourth of the population

3

a

: a musical interval (see interval sense 2) embracing four tones of the diatonic scale

b

: a tone at this interval

specifically : subdominant sense 1

c

: the harmonic combination of two tones a fourth apart

4

: the fourth forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle

shifted into fourth

5

the Fourth : July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 : Fourth of July

watched fireworks on the Fourth

called also Independence Day

fourth adjective or adverb

the fourth edition of a book

the fourth tallest mountain

fourthly adverb

Fourthly, don't sing a whole opera through …

—Mark Twain

Examples of fourth in a Sentence

cut the cake into fourths

She drank a fourth of the bottle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Daylen Lile and Andrés Chaparro singled to lead off the fourth for the Nationals, but Weathers got Brady House to hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Paul DeJong to groundout to extinguish the threat. —Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025

The Chieftains, who are the reigning division champions, then played their most complete set, outscoring Peabody, 25-15, to take the fourth. —Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

An active tropical storm or hurricane has roamed somewhere in the Atlantic on that date in roughly three-fourths of the 76 years tracked by NOAA. —Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

But the Dodgers beat him up for five runs on six hits, including a two-run homer by Mookie Betts in the third and a solo homer by Hernandez in the fourth. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see four

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing fourth

• a poor second/third/fourth
• fourth dimension
• fourth estate
• fourth trimester
• fourth wall
• fourth world
• sixty-fourth note
• sixty-fourth rest

Rhymes for fourth

• henceforth
• thenceforth

Kids Definition

fourth

noun

ˈfō(ə)rth 

ˈfȯ(ə)rth

1

: one that is number four in a series see number

2

: the difference in pitch between the first tone and the fourth tone of a scale

fourth adjective or adverb

fourthly adverb