Fourth Meaning
/fɔːθ/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjThe ordinal form of the number four.
nounThe person or thing in the fourth position.
Sentence Examples
The fourth period was moved up to the third.
April is the fourth month of the year.
He finished in fourth place during the final running race.
CEFR Practice Quiz
I have asked you three times already, so this is the ____ time.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He finished in ____ place in the race, just narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe, from Old English fēorþa, fēowerþa, from Proto-West Germanic *feurþō, from Proto-Germanic *fedurþô, equivalent to four + -th (ordinal suffix). Cognates Compare West Frisian fjirde, Saterland Frisian fjädde, fjoode, Dutch vierde, German Low German feerde, feerd, German vierte, Danish fjerde, Icelandic fjórði.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The fourth model is called the enlightment model: Actors are seen to be responsible for problems but unable or unwilling to provide solutions. They are believed to need discipline provided by authoritative guidance. The Alcoholic Anonymous^([sic]) groups are considered prototypical for this model."
— 2013 June 29, Leo Montada, “Coping with Life Stress”, in Herman Steensma, Riël Vermunt, editors, Social Justice in Human Relations Volume 2: Societal and Psychological Consequences of Justice and Injustice, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 26:
"Finnley is the fourth daughter of Jason and Kylie Kelce, having already welcomed Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett to the family."
— 2025 April 2, Ben Morse, “‘Whoop, there she is!’: Jason and Kylie Kelce announce birth of fourth daughter”, in CNN:
"We are one F and two M's seeking the company of a fourth (M or F) for our spacious and friendly Somerville apt."
— 1978 April 8, “Classified advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 14:
"Now I've heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord / But you don't really care for music, do ya? / It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth"
— 1984, Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah”, in Various Positions:
"[…] thirds (sixtieths of seconds), fourths (sixtieths of thirds) and so on, but then it becomes very cumbersome."
— 1994, John David North, The Fontana History of Astronomy and Cosmology, page xxi:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
I have asked you three times already, so this is the ____ time.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He finished in ____ place in the race, just narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.